Honeycutt Sentenced to Life for Aggravated Child Abuse
Cherokee County-District Attorney Summer McWhorter Summerford announced today that Bobby Honeycutt was sentenced to LIFE in prison for Aggravated Child Abuse on Monday, January 12thby Circuit Judge Andrew Hairston in Cherokee County.
On May 7, 2024, Honeycutt arrived at Atrium Floyd Cherokee with his 3-month-old son, where he informed the staff that the child had stopped breathing and had started turning blue. The infant was life-flighted to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, where he was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit in critical condition. The Department of Human Resources and law enforcement were notified, and an investigation was begun. The Division Director of Child Abuse Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital informed law enforcement that the infant had no painful stimuli response, no gage reflex, and no pupil response. He was also on a ventilator and there was blood present on the frontal lobe of the brain. The doctor said it was a case of Shaken Baby Syndrome. The doctor also stated the baby had a slim chance of survival.
As a result of the investigation, Honeycutt was charged with Aggravated Child Abuse of a child less than 6 years of age, which is a Class A felony. Honeycutt entered a Guilty Plea to Aggravated Child Abuse and was sentenced to LIFE in the state penitentiary, which was the maximum sentence for that offense.
“Please continue to keep the family in your prayers. They have been so very helpful during this case, even while trying to process their own grief. Any case involving a child is hard. We try to balance the need to keep the public informed while also respecting the right of the family to privacy. This outcome cannot undo what has happened, but we hope it allows the family to move forward without worries about court dates and outcomes. Some cases just break the heart of everyone who is a part of it – this is one of those cases,” stated Summerford. Summerford continued, “I also want to say a special thank you, Cedar Bluff Police Chief Jeremy Stepps who was the case agent, and all of the many medical professionals who had a hand in providing care to this baby.” The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Brady Burns and Summerford.
