General Sema'j Oglesby
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CANDID ID: NV_22_1094
AGE
5   years
STATE
Nevada
DATE OF DEATH
3/16/2022
DEATH RECORDS
Not Available
SUMMARY OF DEATH
On the evening of March 15, 2022, Gerald Oglesby, 33, beat his 5-year-old son General Sema'j Oglesby with an electrical cord after disapproving of a TV show the boy was watching. The father struck the child repeatedly on the arms, back, abdomen, neck, and jawline, splitting the child's chin open. After giving the boy a shower, he continued the beating and then punched him in the abdomen with a slipper over his hand, a blow the father admitted he knew was too hard. The child had difficulty walking, laid on the couch, vomited, and eventually stopped breathing. Rather than immediately calling 911, the father performed brief chest compressions, sent text messages to the boy's mother and his sister, and smoked marijuana before finally calling 911. The child was pronounced dead at the scene in Henderson, Nevada, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on March 16, 2022. Gerald Oglesby was charged with one count of murder. A neighbor reported hearing thumping sounds for two hours on the evening of March 15. CCDFS had no prior CPS history for this family.
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)

The NY Post article provides extensive detail of inflicted injury. The father "whipped the five-year-old repeatedly with an electrical cord" and then "dealt General a blow to the stomach that proved to be fatal." Further, "Gerald used a cell phone charging cord and hit him multiple times in the arms the back the abdomen and the side of his neck including his jawline." He also "punched the boy in the abdomen" with a slipper over his hand. The fatality report states that "Child abuse/neglect is suspected."

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?

Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?

Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?

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?

The NY Post article clearly identifies the perpetrator as the child's biological father: "Gerald Oglesby, 33, has been charged in the murder of his son, General Sema'j Oglesby, 5." He is repeatedly referred to as the child's dad throughout the article.

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)?

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 NY Post article states: "Gerald Oglesby, 33, has been charged in the murder of his son" and "Gerald faces one count of murder and has been jailed in Henderson."

Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?

The NY Post article states: "The 33-year-old was previously arrested and charged with multiple counts of domestic battery and one count of domestic battery by strangulation. He allegedly choked his girlfriend while her children were in the living room of their apartment." This clearly references domestic violence by the parent/caregiver.

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?

The NY Post article describes prior criminal history separate from this fatal incident: "The 33-year-old was previously arrested and charged with multiple counts of domestic battery and one count of domestic battery by strangulation. He allegedly choked his girlfriend while her children were in the living room of their apartment, according to an arrest report." These are prior arrests/charges predating and separate from the child's death.

Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?

The NY Post article states that after the child stopped breathing, the father "smoked a marijuana cigarette and proceeded to call 911, according to the arrest report." This directly references substance use by the parent/caregiver.

Notable Details

Several notable details emerge from the NY Post article that are not addressed by other questions. First, the father stated the beating was triggered because "he didn't approve of the TV show the boy was watching." Second, the father deliberately delayed calling 911: "Gerald stated he did not want to lose custody of (his son) and so he chose not to call to get help." Third, instead of seeking help, he sent text messages to the boy's mother and his sister and smoked marijuana before finally calling 911. Fourth, "When he was instructed by emergency dispatchers to perform CPR on his son, Gerald allegedly refused." Fifth, a neighbor reported hearing "repeated thumping noises for two hours on the evening of March 15," suggesting a prolonged assault. These details highlight the deliberate nature of the delay in seeking medical attention and the trivial trigger for the fatal beating.

Lives Cut Short