Alabama Foster Care Transporter Charged After 3-Year-Old Boy Dies in Hot Car Outside Her Home

A transporter is charged with manslaughter after a foster child dies from being left in a hot car for five hours in Birmingham. The family describes the incident as completely avoidable.

By Savage RoyalT | August 6, 2025 | SavageRoyalT.com

BIRMINGHAM, AL — A 3-year-old boy in the foster care system died after being left alone in a hot car for over five hours, and the woman hired to transport him is now facing manslaughter charges, according to Alabama authorities.

Kela Stanford, 54, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of manslaughter following the death of Ketorrius “KJ” Starks, Jr., who was left in a parked car outside of Stanford’s home on Pine Tree Drive in Jefferson County on July 22. Investigators say the toddler was left unattended from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with outside temperatures soaring and the interior of the vehicle likely reaching over 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stanford was employed by The Covenant Services, a private company contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) to transport children in state custody to and from day care. Court records confirm that Stanford was frequently responsible for KJ’s transportation.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene by Birmingham Fire and Rescue after being discovered unresponsive in the driveway of Stanford’s home.

“She Had One Job”

At a press conference and vigil held by KJ’s family, family attorney G. Courtney French said:

“She rode around for over an hour from 11:30 to after 12:30 with KJ in the back seat and drove back to her home, where she said she forgot he was in the car. She had one job to do, and that was to pick KJ up.”

The French called the case a “preventable tragedy” and stated that early evidence indicates the vehicle’s internal temperature likely exceeded 140 degrees, causing KJ to die from heat-related suffocation.

According to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, a warrant was initially issued charging Stanford with leaving a child under age seven unattended in a motor vehicle, creating “an unreasonable risk of injury or harm.”

DHR confirmed that the employee had been terminated and released a brief statement:

“A child in DHR custody was being transported by a contract provider when the incident occurred. The provider has terminated their employee. Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot comment further.”

The Call, the Excuses, and the Aftermath

WBRC published a transcript of a phone call between Stanford and the child’s family after the incident. In the call, Stanford allegedly admitted:

“I went to the day care, and I got sidetracked and stopped off and got something to eat… and I instantly said to myself, ‘Oh, I’m done for the day. I’m going to go home.’”

When confronted by the child’s family, Stanford apologized repeatedly and insisted she did not mean to cause harm:

“There are not enough words to express how bad I feel… I wouldn’t have killed a child.”

But relatives were unsatisfied. One responded:

“This baby died in a car. He suffocated. He didn't have any help. No nothing. You had the child safety lock on the doors. You didn’t think to look in the back seat?!”

A Devastated Family

KJ’s aunt described their last moment together in May, sharing pizza and pool toys. He had told her, “Auntie, I love this.” She now believes that was the last time she’d ever see her nephew alive:

“It hurts deeply because they failed him, and it makes me feel like we failed him as well.”

The child’s father, who had visitation the morning KJ died, broke down in tears speaking to the media:

“As soon as I leave my son, the first thing he says is, ‘Daddy, I want to go with you.’ He says that every time, and it hurts.”

Legal Proceedings

Stanford was arrested on Friday morning, posted $30,000 bond, and was released shortly after. She missed her first court appearance on Monday, according to WBRC. A new hearing has been scheduled for September.

The case remains under active investigation, and Stanford’s actions have ignited renewed scrutiny on Alabama’s foster care transportation system and its accountability protocols.