In a tragic story out of Kentucky, police say a 7-week-old baby died after her father threw her to the ground. Making matters worse, it’s been revealed where the child’s mother was when her newborn was being killed.
Del’Shawn Banks, a 23-year-old Kentucky father, allegedly admitted to having killed his 7-week-old daughter — identified as Del’Luna Banks by WDRB — after shaking her and throwing her on the floor like a rag doll. The disgusting admission came after Banks took the baby to a pediatrician’s office for treatment of her injuries, according to a report from the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Upon seeing the newborn’s condition and the severity of her injuries, staff at the pediatrician’s office reportedly called law enforcement. Police arrived to find the child unresponsive. She was then rushed to Norton Children’s Hospital, where staff determined she sustained a fractured skull and “other injuries conducive to abusive head trauma,” according to The Blaze. Sadly, Del’Luna died of her injuries at the hospital the same day.
Authorities arrested Del’Shawn Banks in connection to the suspicious injuries. Following his arrest, the father reportedly admitted to officers that he’d shaken the baby and thrown her to the ground. An autopsy confirmed that the baby’s injuries were related to the actions described by Banks and the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. Banks was charged with murder-domestic violence. During his arraignment in court, a $250,000 cash bond was set.
According to WDRB, Banks allegedly hurt baby Del’Luna before. The child’s mother, 23-year-old Cortney Jones, also hinted that Banks was an abusive partner and said that their year-and-a-half-long relationship had been troubled. So, where was the young mother when Del’Shawn Banks hurt the newborn one last time? Sadly, she was in the hospital after suffering complications from delivery.
“I’m sitting in the wheelchair waiting to get rolled back to the room and I get the call my baby wasn’t breathing and he’s crying, the dad’s crying,” Jones recalled, describing the moment she found out her child was unresponsive while she was in the hospital. “It makes me disgusted, it makes me sick,” she told WLKY. Jones, who suffered a miscarriage before giving birth to Del’Luna, went on to express the added grief of losing her daughter.
“It hurts so much because she was my rainbow baby,” she explained. “You’re expecting to live a long life with your child, to make memories, and I only have two months’ worth of memories. That’s just not enough,” Jones added. “How can you hurt your own child? How do you hurt someone that looks just like you? A part of you, your blood, your sweat your tears, your everything. How do you do that?”
Jones said that she and Banks had broken up before the fatal incident, but she believes she should have left sooner. Since her daughter’s senseless passing, she has issued a warning to other mothers who find themselves in a similar situation, telling them to get out before it’s too late — something she deeply wishes she would have done.
“If it starts before the child is into the world, and if it happens while you’re pregnant, it’s going to continue after,” Jones said. “Whether we want to face the reality or not, it’s going to happen after,” she warned. “The person can tell you they’re going to get better. They can tell you they’re going to get help,” she continued. “They can tell you all these false promises, and they can make it seem like it’s going to happen. They can make it seem like they’re getting better, but they’re not.”
Unfortunately, Cortney Jones is right, and her words echo sentiments we hear time and time again after domestic violence claims an innocent life: They should have left sooner, but getting away from their abuser isn’t easy, and by the time they decide they must get out, it’s often too late. Thankfully, there are many resources for assistance if you or someone you know is a suspected victim of domestic violence.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233 or visit www.thehotline.org), as well as Local Domestic Violence Hotlines or Organizations, such as the YMCA, YWCA, Battered Women’s Shelter, Women Helping Women, Legal Aid Society, or local church resources, are just a few options available. Victims can also contact their local police or an attorney. Whatever the domestic violence victim decides, however, it’s critical to seek professional help right away.
