Pattern of Harm

Memphis, TN — Nearly seven years after the brutal death of 2-year-old Deandre Davis, justice was delivered in a Shelby County courtroom. On April 1, 2022, Marterrius Hite, then 29, was sentenced to life in prison plus 80 years for the murder and abuse of his girlfriend’s toddler son, a case that prosecutors described as one of “savage” cruelty and prolonged suffering.

The Crime: A Faked Drowning and a Brutal Beating

On July 13, 2015, Memphis firefighters responded to an emergency call from a Woodbranch Street apartment in the Whitehaven area. Hite, who had been staying in the apartment with his girlfriend, Clara Davis, and her two children, phoned 911 claiming he had found young Deandre floating face-down in an upstairs bathtub. But when first responders arrived, they found evidence that told a far more disturbing story.

Despite the reported drowning, Deandre’s body was dry. Paramedics discovered the toddler cold, pulseless, and bruised. There were no signs of water in his lungs. He was rushed to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterward.

At the time of the incident, Clara Davis had left for work around 6:30 a.m., leaving her two children in Hite’s care. Hite was not employed, according to Davis’s testimony. She was the sole breadwinner for the household, and Hite had taken on caregiving responsibilities during the day.

During his initial interview with police, Hite admitted he had “grabbed the baby by the neck” and “popped him several times with a belt on his stomach and legs.” The belt he used, a black belt with metal studs, was recovered at the scene. Forensic experts later confirmed that the loop-shaped injuries found on the boy’s back and legs matched the pattern of the belt.

Inside the apartment, officers found chaotic and unsanitary conditions: feces on the carpet, fecal stains on bedding, and a tub with several inches of dark, murky water. Medical experts would later testify that Deandre’s injuries included blunt-force trauma to the head, retinal hemorrhaging, brain swelling, and a ruptured duodenum, internal injuries so severe that a pediatric expert described them as consistent with a child who had been “beaten to death.”

Arrest and Indictment

Hite was arrested the same day and taken to the Memphis Police Department’s Homicide Bureau. He initially gave a false name “Marvin Hite” but police quickly confirmed his identity. His explanations of what had happened shifted during questioning, ranging from accidental injury to a supposed drowning, but none matched the physical evidence or medical findings.

In February 2016, a Shelby County grand jury indicted Hite on two counts of first-degree felony murder, one count of aggravated child abuse, and one count of aggravated child neglect.

The Trial: A Battle of Medical Testimony

After numerous delays, including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the case finally went to trial in February 2022. The jury, sequestered for the duration, heard five days of testimony beginning February 14.

The state presented a compelling case based largely on expert medical testimony and Hite’s own statements. Dr. Marco Ross, Chief Medical Examiner, reviewed the autopsy and testified that the child had suffered multiple, severe blunt-force injuries, which he deemed not survivable. These included massive internal bleeding, brain and retinal hemorrhaging, and contusions matching the studded belt.

Dr. Lakin, a child abuse pediatrician, supported the state’s conclusion, saying the pattern, timing, and extent of the injuries pointed to inflicted trauma, not accident or medical anomaly. She described the boy’s condition as the result of “severe inflicted physical abuse.”

The defense attempted to introduce doubt through the testimony of Dr. Jane Turner, a forensic pathologist who suggested Deandre may have had a rare vascular tumor that caused spontaneous bleeding and death. However, under cross-examination, Dr. Turner admitted that no other physician had made this diagnosis and conceded she had never physically examined the body. Her testimony was largely dismissed by jurors, especially in light of the consistent trauma pattern and lack of supporting medical evidence.

On February 18, the jury returned a unanimous verdict: guilty on all counts – two counts of first-degree felony murder, one count of aggravated child abuse, and one count of aggravated child neglect.

Sentencing: “This Was a Savage Beating”

At the sentencing hearing on April 1, 2022, Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee imposed the maximum punishment allowed by law. Hite was sentenced to life in prison for the merged murder charges and received two consecutive 40-year sentences for the abuse and neglect convictions, bringing the total sentence to life plus 80 years.

Judge Coffee described the killing as “a savage beating, an absolute brutal savage beating of a two-and-a-half-year-old baby because the child had a potty training incident.” He noted that Hite had a lengthy criminal record, including prior aggravated burglaries and marijuana charges, and was on probation and out on bail at the time of the child’s death.

In explaining the sentence, Judge Coffee cited several aggravating factors: the vulnerability of the victim, the excessive cruelty of the act, and Hite’s abuse of a position of trust. The judge found no mitigating factors and concluded that Hite had “no potential for rehabilitation.”

As a “high violent” offender, Hite will not be eligible for parole on the life sentence until serving at least 51 years.

A Tragic Reminder

The death of Deandre Davis shook the Memphis community. His funeral was held in Olive Branch, Mississippi, and a flag was raised in his honor at the Memphis Child Advocacy Center, a grim symbol of yet another child lost to abuse.

Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen and Assistant District Attorney Dru Carpenter, who tried the case on behalf of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit, said the outcome served as a stark reminder of the need to protect the most vulnerable and hold their abusers fully accountable.

Yet, some observers have sharply criticized the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office for its decision not to file any charges against Clara Davis, Deandre’s mother. Despite leaving her children in the care of a man with no job, a history of violent offenses, and an active probation status, Davis was never held criminally responsible for her role in exposing Deandre to a dangerous environment. For many, her lack of accountability represents a disturbing gap in the justice process, one that sends the wrong message about parental responsibility and the systemic failures that can lead to tragedy.

With the conclusion of this painful case, the memory of Deandre Davis lives on, not just in grief, but in justice.