Father and stepmother, who “whooped” their 6-year-old son with a belt and forced him to do exercises as punishment for misbehaving before beating the boy to death, were charged
Indiana – In a horrific case in Indiana that drew nationwide attention, a 29-year-old father, identified as Franklin E., and his 27-year-old wife, identified as Cheyenne E., have been charged with murder after their 6-year-old son was found with fatal injuries inflicted during repeated abuse masked as “discipline.” Franklin and Cheyenne are now behind bars, each facing charges of murder in the death of the child, who was under their care in the days leading up to his death.
The couple was arrested on August 8, just days after rushing the unresponsive child to a hospital. According to the prosecutor’s office, Franklin initially claimed that his son had caused his own injuries—that he “hit himself” and then collapsed. However, medical professionals quickly challenged that account. Doctors reported that the extent and nature of the boy’s injuries were far too severe to be self-inflicted. Among them were a traumatic brain injury and a punctured lung, both signs of serious physical abuse. As the investigation unfolded, it became clear the incident was not a one-time event. Prosecutors allege that Cheyenne, the boy’s stepmother, had complained to her husband about the child’s misbehavior. On the night of August 3, the couple admitted to being in their home when Franklin beat his son. After the boy became unresponsive, they called 911, but investigators noted their attempt to deflect blame onto the child himself.
Emergency room staff and a trauma surgeon told police they did not believe any of the injuries were consistent with self-harm. Investigators searched the couple’s phones and reportedly found multiple photos showing the boy with marks all over his body and other signs of abuse, documenting what now appears to have been a prolonged pattern of mistreatment. The couple admitted to using severe methods to discipline the child. According to police, both Franklin and Cheyenne said they forced the boy to perform rigorous physical exercises as punishment. They also confessed to hitting him, saying they would “whoop” him with a belt. Several neighbors backed up this claim, telling authorities they had seen the boy doing exercises in the yard.
The child’s biological mother, who resides in Alabama, had previously raised alarms about her son’s safety. She had reported concerns to Indiana’s Department of Child Services, including heartbreaking comments from her son about going to bed hungry at night when he gets in trouble. Despite those warnings, the Department of Child Services reportedly told her they found no visible injuries and therefore could not intervene. The mother said she formally reported the situation, but no further action was taken. In a statement to local media, the Department of Child Services said it could not release specific information due to the ongoing criminal case but confirmed it had reviewed the records. “We do not have statutory authority to release any records related to [the boy], due to an ongoing police investigation or criminal prosecution,” the department stated.
Franklin and Cheyenne are being held without bail and are expected to appear in court again later this month. As of now, no plea has been entered, and both remain in custody pending further legal proceedings. The boy’s death has brought renewed scrutiny to how child welfare warnings are handled—and whether systemic failures contributed to a tragedy that might have been prevented. What is clear is that behind the closed doors of their home, discipline turned deadly, and a young life was extinguished long before it had the chance to grow.
