‘There have been tears’: Bessemer 3-year-old killed in hot car laid to rest

BESSEMER, Ala. (WBRC) - A Bessemer family is longing for answers as they lay their little boy to rest.

A funeral service was held Saturday for 3-year-old Ke’Torrius Starkes Jr. (KJ), who was in DHR custody, when he tragically died after being left in a hot car.

Dozens of cars packed the parking lot at Sixth Avenue Beulah Baptist Church.

A horse drawn carriage rolled KJ’s custom-wrapped casket to the steps of the church, as loved ones trailed behind in white limousines.

As the rain fell, umbrellas were in hand, as the weather did not stop loved ones from showing up to honor their KJ.

“Family members are experiencing a wide range of emotions from sadness to shock, as well as love, as they cherish memories of ‘KJ,’” said family attorney G. Courtney French. “There have been tears, hugs, and quiet moments of reflection.”

The Bessemer boy was found alone inside a hot car parked along Pine Tree Drive in Birmingham in late July.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office confirmed he was left there for about 5 hours.

Right now, WBRC knows 54-year-old Kela Stanford, a contracted worker responsible for transporting KJ for DHR, has been charged in his death.

Out of respect for the family, WBRC did stay outside the church, allowing them to grieve privately, as they requested.

Several hours before the funeral, the community held a balloon release for KJ.

The man who wrapped KJ’s casket for Saturday’s funeral said it was a grueling task.

“I can wrap a casket in an hour – KJ’s took me 3 days because I could not do it,” said Hurt King with Wrap It Up Graphics. “I looked at me, over, and over, and over. I grew up in foster care. I was a warden of the state out of New York City and know firsthand what happens in the system.”

First responders in Bessemer continue to remind drivers to check their back seat before parking the car.

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