Birmingham couple charged with murder after abducted 3-year-old's body found in dumpster

[Dave Cross]

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An Alabama couple have been charged with capital murder in the
suffocation death of 3-year-old Kamille "Cupcake" McKinney whose
body was found in a dumpster 10 days after she was snatched
outside a Birmingham birthday party.

Patrick Devone Stallworth, 39, of Birmingham, was originally
held on four counts of possession of child pornography and three
counts of possession of child pornography with intent to
distribute.

He was arrested on a tip that his car, which had been seen on a
surveillance video near the abduction scene, was parked outside
his apartment building.

Stallworth's attorney, Emory Anthony, told WVTM-TV that his
client was "outraged" that his name was tied to the McKinney
case and said he is "not involved at all."

When asked in court if he had any questions regarding the
capital charges against him, Stallworth, according to AL.com,
told the judge: “I don’t understand why I was charged with
murder of this child.”

A lawyer for Stallworth's girlfriend, Derick Irisha Brown, said
the woman “adamantly denies” knowing anything about the
abduction.

Kamille, whose funeral is Sunday, was found in a dumpster that
had been stationed near the apartment complex where Stallworth
was living. The body was found after the dumpster was taken to a
landfill area.

Arrest warrants state that Kamille died of asphyxiation by
suffocation on Oct. 12, the same day she went missing, AL.com
reported.

Children at the birthday party where Kamille was abducted around
8:30 p.m. said she was grabbed by a man who took off in an SUV.

The abduction sparked an uproar in the community and an
overwhelming response to a local crime stoppers program with
both tips and reward money.

"This 3-year-old has Herculean power," said Birmingham police
chief Patrick Smith. "She has unified our city. She has brought
people together ... She has touched a cord within the city. It
was kind of a 'how-dare-you' crime — how dare you touch our
children."

Smith said there was no known connection between the suspects
and Kamille or her family.

"They saw an opportunity to take a young child, and they did,"
Smith said.

Stallworth's family issued a statement after his arrest saying
they were "deeply saddened" by Kamille's death.

"We offer our heartfelt prayers and sympathy to her family, but
we know this is not enough," the family said. "This precious
child should have had a chance to enjoy life and pursue her
dreams."

"We can’t find enough words to express our grief, and we are
distraught by the fact that a member of the Stallworth family is
charged with this heinous act," they added. "Patrick
Stallworth’s fate will be determined by a system of laws – a
system that we revere and respect."

The statement said he was "reared in a family with strong
values."

"The actions he is alleged to have done in no way reflect who we
are as a family," the statement said. "We ask that our family
not be judged by the actions of one individual. We abhor
senseless violence, and even more so, we condemn acts of
violence against defenseless children."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/26/kamille-
mckinney-death-child-found-dumpster-died-asphyxiation/2468434001/