On October 18, 2022, 17-month-old Jamari Hne was fatally assaulted by her mother's boyfriend, 26-year-old Terrance Valdez Leslie, while he was watching her at their Maplewood, Minnesota apartment while her mother was at work. First responders found Jamari with fresh burns on her cheek, neck, and arms, and dark bruises all over her body; she was lethargic and unresponsive. She was taken to Children's Hospital where she died after going into cardiac arrest. An autopsy determined the cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries due to assault, including brain bleeding, fractures to the right ulna and radius, lacerations to internal organs (thymus, liver, adrenal gland), and injuries consistent with sexual assault. Old healing injuries and bruises indicated ongoing physical abuse. Leslie had recorded multiple cell-phone videos of himself assaulting the semi-conscious child, including slapping her and grabbing her head. He had also burned her in a bathtub until her skin peeled off. Leslie, who was on supervised probation for a prior shooting and robbery conviction, pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder and was sentenced to the maximum 40 years in prison.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Multiple documents describe inflicted injuries. The Safe Passage report states the perpetrator was "beating a semi-conscious Jamari" and "burned her in a bathtub until her skin peeled off." The twincities.com article describes how "Leslie loudly slaps (Jamari) on the right side of her cheek" and how he "aggressively grabs the top of her head and 'snaps' it to show the left side of her face." The kare11.com article notes "investigators found multiple videos of child abuse on Leslie's phone, including a video where Leslie loudly slapped the 17-month-old on her cheek."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
The twincities.com article states that Jamari "suffered burns to her face, bleeding in the brain, arm fractures and injuries consistent with sexual assault."
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
While the specific terms "shaken baby" or "abusive head trauma" are not used, the documents describe inflicted head injuries resulting in brain bleeding. The Safe Passage report notes "internal bleeding in the brain." The twincities.com article states Jamari suffered "bleeding in the brain" and that a doctor noted "blood behind her eardrum, indicating a brain injury." The article also describes Leslie aggressively grabbing the top of her head and snapping it. These findings are consistent with abusive head trauma.
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Multiple sources describe a pattern of prolonged, deliberately cruel treatment. The Safe Passage report states: "The perpetrator made one 4-minute and two shorter videos of himself beating a semi-conscious Jamari while she was strapped in her car seat, including focusing in on her wounds. He also burned her in a bathtub until her skin peeled off. In addition, an autopsy showed old healing injuries." The twincities.com article further describes a 48-second video showing the child "swaying back and forth, her eyes slowly closing. Her eyelids close, and her eyes roll back. 'Out of view, Leslie loudly slaps (Jamari) on the right side of her cheek, rousing her awake.'" Emergency room physicians noted old bruises "all over her back and abdomen" indicating "ongoing physical abuse." The filming of assaults, the deliberate burning, the evidence of old healing injuries, and the sadistic nature of the acts constitute deliberately cruel treatment over an extended period.
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
All documents identify the perpetrator as the mother's boyfriend/paramour. The Safe Passage report identifies the "Adult Perpetrator: Mother's paramour." The kare11.com article states Leslie was "charged 26-year-old Terrance Valdez Leslie with one count of second-degree murder without intent for the death of his girlfriend's young daughter." The twincities.com article confirms Leslie was convicted and sentenced to 40 years.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The kare11.com article states: "A criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County on Thursday, Oct. 20 charged 26-year-old Terrance Valdez Leslie with one count of second-degree murder without intent." The twincities.com article confirms he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 40 years. The kare11.com article also states that both the mother and Leslie were initially "booked at the Ramsey County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder" on Oct. 18.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The kare11.com article states: "Police said they believe she, too, is a victim of domestic abuse," referring to Jamari's mother in relation to Leslie. This directly references domestic violence perpetrated by the caregiver (Leslie).
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Multiple sources document Leslie's extensive prior criminal history. The Safe Passage report states: "The perpetrator had multiple prior convictions for ineligible possession of a firearm." The twincities.com article provides additional detail: "He was found guilty of threats of violence in 2009, and possession of a firearm by an ineligible person three years later." It further states: "At the time of Jamari's murder, Leslie was on supervised probation after being convicted of shooting a man during a robbery in North Minneapolis in January 2016. Attempted murder charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement and he was sentenced to 7½ years in prison in February 2017."
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several substantive details not addressed by preceding questions may materially affect a researcher's understanding. The twincities.com article reveals that "At the time of Jamari's murder, Leslie was on supervised probation after being convicted of shooting a man during a robbery in North Minneapolis in January 2016. Attempted murder charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement and he was sentenced to 7½ years in prison in February 2017. He was released from prison four years later and put on supervised probation until August 2023." This means a violent offender was on active supervised probation while committing the murder, raising systemic questions about probation monitoring. Additionally, both parents were extremely young—the twincities.com article identifies Jamari's mother as 18 years old and her father, Daniel Jefferson, as 17 years old. The mother stated she "had been dating Leslie for two to three months and they'd been living together for several weeks," indicating the child was placed in the care of a very new partner with a violent criminal history.
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