On August 27, 2023, two-year-old Nasir Parris was fatally injured at a home on East 68 Street in Brooklyn's Bergen Beach neighborhood. Latrell Lewis, 23, who was the boy's mother's boyfriend and was caring for the child, admitted to throwing the boy against a wall after the child woke him from sleep. The boy's mother woke up, found the child unconscious, unresponsive, and with a bruised stomach, and called 911. An autopsy revealed the child died from blunt force injuries to his head and torso, including a fractured skull and massive internal injuries. Lewis was arrested and charged with murder the following day.
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 news article states that Latrell Lewis "admitted during interviews to throwing him against a wall because he woke him." The NYPD report lists the weapon as "Hands, Fists etc." The medical examiner found "blunt force injuries to his head and torso," a "fractured skull and massive internal injuries." These all explicitly describe inflicted injury.
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?
The news article reports the child had a "fractured skull" and "blunt force injuries to his head" resulting from being thrown against a wall by a caregiver. While the specific terms "shaken baby syndrome" or "abusive head trauma" are not used, the described mechanism—a caregiver intentionally inflicting force that resulted in a skull fracture and fatal head injuries in a 2-year-old—is consistent with 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?
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)?
The news article states the grandmother, Wendy Thomas, "said that Mr. Lewis, who was not the child's father, had been dating her daughter." The article also describes Lewis as the mother's boyfriend who was caring for the child. He was arrested and charged with murder. This clearly identifies a male paramour/boyfriend as the perpetrator.
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?
Both sources confirm an adult was arrested and charged. The NYPD report states "Perpetrator Status Description: Arrested." The news article states "Latrell Lewis, was arrested and charged with murder."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
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?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
There is a notable discrepancy between the NYPD Supplementary Homicide Report, which lists the perpetrator-victim relationship as "Parent," and the news article, which explicitly states that "Mr. Lewis, who was not the child's father, had been dating her daughter." Lewis was the mother's boyfriend, not a biological parent. This miscategorization in the official record could materially affect research that relies on NYPD homicide data to analyze perpetrator-victim relationships in child homicides, potentially inflating the number attributed to biological parents rather than paramours.
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