Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, and Upper Dublin Township Police Chief Francis Wheatley recently announced the arrests of two women and issued a warrant for a man in connection with the death of a 21-year-old man with cerebral palsy. The victim, Tylim Hatchett, was discovered dead and heavily emaciated on September 18, 2024, at The Promenade apartments on Route 63 in the Dresher section of Upper Dublin Township, according to CBS News Philadelphia.
The victim's mother, Sherrilynn Hawkins, and a former caregiver, Loretta Harris, were arrested and charged with neglect among other offenses, while an active warrant remains for the apprehension of the victim's father, Vernon Hatchett, who is currently at-large. Hawkins faces the most severe charges, including first-degree and third-degree murder, Steele disclosed in a recent news conference. Vernon Hatchett has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, and Harris faces a charge of theft by deception due to fraudulent submission of caregiving hours. "These were intentional omissions that she was making through this period of time. She had a duty as a parent, she had a duty as a contracted employee, she was receiving benefits for this, and she let him die," Steele told CBS News Philadelphia.
According to the investigation, the neglect included long periods where Tylim was left without food or water, culminating in a state of starvation. He weighed just 59 pounds at the time of his death, noted Steele. Police determined that during Tylim's final 18 days, he was alone for 356 of the total 425 hours. "He was nonverbal, he was blind and wheelchair bound which made him dependent on caregivers for feeding, bathing and mobility," Steele said, highlighting the victim's dependence on the care he did not receive, in an interview with NBC10 Philadelphia.
An additional layer of this tragedy is the alleged financial exploitation, with both women accused of clocking in hours for payment with Aveanna Healthcare, though they were not actually providing care. "A review of cell phone records found that the women involved in this case clocked in and submitted hours for payment at times they were not actively with the victim, leaving him alone for upwards of 24 hours at a time," officials outlined, as described by NBC10. Aveanna Healthcare, in a statement, has emphasized its commitment to care delivery standards, claiming robust compliance and supervisory measures in line with state regulations. "The Company has and continues to cooperate with all investigations into this matter," a representative stated, as obtained by several news outlets.
Hawkins was arraigned on Tuesday, and is held without bail, with a preliminary hearing set for January 10, 2025. Harris was scheduled to be arraigned on the same day as Hawkins. The authorities continue to urge anyone with information about Vernon Hatchett's whereabouts to come forward and aid in his capture, as described by a NBC10 Philadelphia report.
