| Location | South Side Chicago |
| Age | 5 years |
| Cause of Death | Murder |
| Date of Birth | 12/1982 |
| Date of Death | 1987 |
| Visitors | 43,937 since 11/12/2007 |
| Creator | |
| Helpers |
On August 14, 1987, in a hot South Side Chicago apartment, police and paramedics found the tortured body of four-year-old Lattie McGee. Over the summer, when many inner-city children were outside enjoying splashing in the flow of spraying water hydrants, little Lattie was being systematically tortured by his mother and her boyfriend.
The then 28-year-old Alicia Abraham and her 40-year old boyfriend, Johnny Campbell, spent the summer beating the small boy with their fists, burning him with cigarettes and an iron, dunking his small legs into boiling water, depriving him of food and water, sticking him repeatedly with sewing needles and then wrapping a clothing line around his tiny raw ankles and hanging him upside down in the closet for the night.
To muffle the innocent boy's cries, the couple would sometimes stuff a rag in his mouth.
Campbell did not like the 4-year-olds "effeminate" voice so to toughen the young boy he would starve him then beat him if he complained. On the hot August night, Campbell and Alicia stuffed a rag into Lettie's mouth, potato peels were placed on his eyes, his hands were bound, and he was hung by his feet in the closet. His complaints of having problems swallowing and that he was in pain from the broken collarbone and broken pelvis, were ignored.
Flesh Ripped Away
The next morning Alicia Abraham seemed more concerned with watching TV then getting Lattie down from the closet. It would not have mattered because he died sometime during the night. There was no more pleasure for her and her boyfriend to get from abusing this innocent child.
Pathologist said Lattie died of a severe blow to the head that slowly killed him, but they added, "His emaciated body, scarred from head to foot, was so infected from untreated wounds that he probably would have died a short time later." When the paramedics and police lifted the boy's shirt, they uncovered a chest of raw skin, his flesh ripped away from repeated abuse.
Not the Only Victim
There was another child in the home, six-year-old Cornelius Abraham, Lattie's brother. With courage, the young boy testified against the Alicia and Campbell. He recounted all the episodes of abuse that he and Lattie suffered.
For their crimes, Johnny Campbell and Alicia Abraham were both sentenced to life in prison.
Remarkably, two years earlier in 1985, Alicia Abraham was being counseled for neglecting her children by state investigators, who incredibly concluded the situation had improved.
Out of Despair, Hope
Cornelius, who showed much courage, was eventually sent to live with his biological father. Sadly, his father also neglected him, and at age 12, he was homeless and on his own for three months. After five more tumultuous years, Cornelius was placed with a pair of loving foster parents. In time, Cornelius grew close to them and today calls them "Mom and Dad."
After graduating from high school, he went on to college. In 1999, the YMCA Network for Counseling and Youth Development of Greater Chicagoland presented Cornelius with the first ever, Cornelius S. Abraham Award, designed to give hope to children who have suffered from abuse.
As summer ends, I cannot help to think of Lettie, who would be 20 years old now. Since I first read the Abraham brothers' story of the monstrous cruelty at the hands of their caregivers, I think of Lettie at summer's end. I will never understand what makes people, such as Alicia and Campbell, do the horrific cruel acts to small children, and in a way, I hope I never do understand it. Then I refocus and think of Cornelius -- so brave, so determined to beat the odds -- and I send a silent wish to him: that his life is now one of peace and happiness.
Everyday i think of poor Lattie and his older brother, that also had a rough time of it in his childhood. My thoughts will forever be with Lattie and his brother ! When i read this story it still brings tears to my eyes !
Thank you to everyone that has left tributes on Lattie's page ! Least we all love him in away that his mother didn't. And a big thank you to people that are lighting candle's daily for Lattie ! And a huge thank you to people that are also adding photos into Lattie's photo gallery !
May god bless all you loving people ! xx
r.i.p beautiful
Dear Lattie, I'm Megan, 19 from South Wales in the United Kingdom, you're such an adorable child. It's a shame that your life was taken away from you at such early age. I only know about you because I watched 'The Steve Wilko Show' earlier on today and I cried hearing the things that your 'mother' and her boyfriend done to you! Me being me I had to know more about you. It made me so angry to know a mother could do such horrible things and not to care. When on the show I'm surprised Steve managed to keep his cool to be honest, because if it was me I'd probably end up in jail myself.
Anyway, I tend to babble on..
You would've been such a caring, loving guy and someone wouldn't loved you like you should've been loved. I hope your brother and the rest of the family is doing alright. God takes those who he thinks are special and by God you must be special! I hope your okay up there! R.I.P Lattie McGee, you'll be missed always.
For the Living
We must all be more willing to intervene to prevent the suffering of children. If we clear about our intentions it is possible that we can act when we suspect a child is in danger. We need to take responsibility.
I caught Mr Wilko's show and even though I see him as a showman whose persona sometimes tips over into bullying, I appreciated this story being brought to my attention. I do not know whether Abraham and Campbell will ever be sorry for what they did and feel such a small word cannot compensate for the unimaginable torment they inflected upon Lattie and Cornelius. We will have to leave it to God to truly forgive them if they feel regret.
I hope that Cornelius is enjoying a good life and has managed to keep the ghosts of his traumatic early childhood in check. He is in my thoughts.
Peace
I just heard about poor Lattie's story on the Steve Wilkos show, and am deeply upset about it.
Poor baby, how anyone could hurt, torture and eventually kill anyone much less a innocent, little baby who relied on his so called mum for everything.
I have 3 babies all under 4 and could never hurt them in any way and I feel so sad that poor Lattie and his brother did not have the same. What lives they must of led and for Lattie paying the price of death in the end.
Things like this should not be allowed to happen, someone must of seen or heard something, we must protect our children and look out for others, maybe poor Laddie could have been saved.
Sweet dreams little angel, you deserved none of what happened to you, god bless xxx
I have seen it on the Steve wilko show xxxx Omg I can't believe any human being can do that to another xxx you will always be in our hearts and our memory xxxxx love you
Rest in Peace
It's incredibly sad that you never went to kindergarten, or played in the school band, drove a car, graduated high school, or went to college. I wish I could take back all the pain that you went through. I am so sorry you had to go through it. You are loved. May you rest in peace.
And to Alicia and Johnny, I hope there is a hell, and that you two ROT in it.
BURN IN HELL!!!!
A Mother in Spirit
Dearest Laddie, I read your story on U-Tube. I thought I had heard it all, but this sad sick story takes the cake! I have two girls. One of them born the same year you were. I do not understand how your own mom could have participated in the torture of such a handsome and sweet little innocent boy! SMH. RIP little man! We love you!
Deborah
Rest In Peace Little Angel
I'm so sorry your time on God's earth was short, but God gave you a permanent home in Heaven, far away from the evil and abuse that you endured in the hands of the people who supposed to care for and love you. It's been almost 25 years since you left, you will never be forgotten, may you Rest In Peace Lattie McGee.
RIP LITTLE ONE
I only heard your story today, I always wanted kids and was unable to. I wish you had been sent to me,I would have adored you always. I would have spolt you with love and everything else in my power. Night night baby.Doris
Kristin
Your life was cut way too short.
No telling the wonders you could have done for this Earth.
Even just by being here
But what is important is that you're no longer suffering now.
There's no more pain and no more hate for you.
Now you know what love is.
Enjoy your eternal paradise, sweetums =]
~Kiko
Using the options below you can add this memorial to your personal garden.
| I am Lattie's ... | |
| Add to Garden: | |
| Notifications: | Text Message |
There have been 1356 candles lit for Lattie.
