Alabama DHR Contract Worker Charged in Death of Bessemer Toddler Left in Hot Car

A contract worker for the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) has been charged in the tragic death of a 3-year-old foster child from Bessemer, who was left inside a hot vehicle for hours on July 22, 2025.

According to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, 54-year-old Kela Stanford faces one count of leaving a child or incapacitated person unattended in a motor vehicle resulting in serious physical injury-a Class B felony that carries a potential sentence of two to 20 years in prison.

The victim, Ke'Terrious Starkes Jr., had been picked up from daycare by Stanford for a scheduled supervised visit with his father. After the visit, Stanford allegedly drove to her home instead of returning the child to daycare, leaving him in the vehicle for approximately five hours during peak summer heat. The child was later found unresponsive in the 1500 block of Pine Tree Drive in Birmingham and pronounced dead at the scene.

Family members say Stanford had regularly transported Ke'Terrious and should have been fully aware of the protocols. "This is a terrible tragedy that was completely avoidable and unnecessary," Jefferson County DA Danny Carr said in a statement.

Stanford was booked into custody on August 1 and released on a $30,000 bond. The case has sparked renewed scrutiny of DHR's oversight of contracted workers.