A Macomb County man has been convicted in the harrowing 2021 drowning death of his girlfriend's 6-year-old special needs son, a case that has captivated and horrified the community.
On Monday, Hunter Locke-Hughes, aged 22, was found guilty of first-degree child abuse and involuntary manslaughter by a Macomb County jury, according to the Detroit News, following an incident that occurred while the young boy, Terry Adams, was under his care; Locke-Hughes was accused of submerging the boy in a bathtub and the sentencing is set for March 13th.
The case further sheds light on the vulnerabilities of children with special needs within the system, with Terry's father, Gary Adams, expressing deep-seated frustration with the handling of his son's case by Child Protective Services (CPS), "Before they got in Terry's life, I thought they was supposed to help kids," Gary Adams told the Detroit News. "But now I don't believe that they actually help kids. Especially kids with special needs… When you have a special needs child, you should be extra protective of them, be looking out for them more than the normal child. I don't believe they was looking out for him at all."
Terry was born with CHARGE syndrome, a complex and multi-faceted condition affecting various parts of the body and despite these challenges, the boy reportedly had made developmental strides such as learning to walk and partially see, as per his obituary in the Detroit Free Press.
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido emphasized the commitment of his office to protect the vulnerable in a statement, "Our commitment to protecting the innocent and seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society remains unwavering," he said, and in hopes that the guilty verdict would help bring closure to the family CBS Detroit reported.
