A horrifying incident happened when a mother turned into a monster and took the life of her own child.
An infant was brought unresponsive to the hospital after being sexually tortured by his vicious mother and her boyfriend. Hoss Wayne Benham had 89 injuries across his body and he had suffered heinous sexual abuse at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend, prosecutors said.
According to the Cullman Times, his mother, Crystal Ballenger, and her boyfriend, Jeffrey Hugh Brown claimed the baby had died in the bathtub at their trailer home but autopsy report revealed the truth.
The one-year-old had 38 injuries to his head and neck inflicted by blunt-force trauma, four injuries to each eye, 19 across on his arms and legs, six on his torso, and seven to his genitalia and anus. He died on March 11, 2014.
Ballenger and Brown also tested positive for methamphetamine and other drugs after Benham’s death.
The cruel mother and her boyfriend both faced charges of capital murder and sexual torture, the pair could receive the death penalty or life in prison if they found guilty.
The prosecutor Wilson Blaylock said: “It’s really unbelievable and just hard to read what happened to this infant child.
“His last 36 hours were spent in horror and pain.”
“The defense asked for the continuance,” Blaylock said.
Hoss’s great grandmother on an online memorial to the one-year-old wrote: “He was my first great-grandson and I miss him every single day and he is always on my mind.”
“I look to heaven every night and tell him goodnight, because I know he is in heaven and he watches over us all.”
“I Love You and miss you and I miss that beautiful smile that was always on your face.”
“From your great nana.”