Prosecutors say the child’s mother’s former boyfriend beat him to death inside a Panorama City apartment.
PANORAMA CITY, Calif. — A 5-year-old boy found dead in a commercial dumpster last summer died from blunt force trauma, according to a newly released autopsy report in a murder case against his mother’s former boyfriend.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled Elyjah Anthony Hearn’s death a homicide after documenting extensive injuries across his body. Prosecutors have charged Brycson Malik Gaddis with murder and assault on a child causing death. Gaddis, who was 20 when he was arrested and is now listed as 21 in recent reports, has pleaded not guilty and remains held on $2 million bail.
Elyjah’s body was found July 12, 2025, in a dumpster in a commercial parking lot in the 8200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard in Panorama City. Prosecutors said Gaddis killed the child one day earlier inside an apartment in the 14500 block of Lanark Street, about a half mile from where the body was found. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Gaddis on July 18. “This is truly a heartbreaking and horrific case,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said at the time, adding that prosecutors would seek accountability in court.
The autopsy report said Elyjah was found naked and partially wrapped in a fleece throw blanket. Medical examiners documented contusions, fractures, cuts and abrasions on his head, torso and arms, along with injuries to his forehead and lips. The report also listed a broken jaw, a broken rib, a knocked-out tooth and liver lacerations tied to internal bleeding. Some wounds were in different stages of healing, a finding investigators said pointed to trauma that occurred over more than one event or over a longer period of time.
Authorities said the case first drew attention when police found the child’s body near the rear of a medical center parking area. The medical examiner’s ruling, released months later, gave the clearest public account of how Elyjah died. Reports said the autopsy listed blunt force trauma as the cause of death and said an asphyxial event could not be ruled out. Trace amounts of methamphetamine were also reported in the child’s system. Officials have not publicly released every detail of the medical findings, and the criminal case remains active.
Investigators also reviewed surveillance video from the night before Elyjah was found. A business owner said video from Titus Street showed a man and a woman walking in the area, with one person carrying what appeared to be something or someone wrapped in a blanket. A search warrant described footage showing the victim wrapped in a multicolored blanket and said Gaddis was accompanied by Elyjah’s mother, Kemia Hearn. Police questioned the boy’s mother and released her. Available reports did not show charges against her in the case.
Gaddis is not Elyjah’s biological father, police and family members said. Elyjah’s grandfather, Troy Hearn Sr., described the child as autistic, curious and loving. “He was autistic, but that didn’t slow him down,” Hearn said. “He could pick your phone up and go through it, any tablet. His speech was slow, but he understood and he was loving.” A family fundraiser also described Elyjah as joyful and full of energy, saying his death left relatives heartbroken.
The case has also put attention on Gaddis’ prior contacts with law enforcement. Local reports said he had a July 2024 arrest tied to a violent carjacking case in Pomona, but prosecutors did not pursue that case within required legal time limits and it was dismissed. Reports also said Gaddis was arrested in January 2025 on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence and that a protective order had been filed against him. In May 2025, a warrant was issued after his court-ordered GPS monitor was disabled and he failed to appear in court.
Gaddis faces a possible sentence of 25 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney MacKenzie Teymouri of the Family Violence Division’s Complex Child Abuse Section. It remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Juvenile Division. Court records cited in recent reports said Gaddis is due back in court May 13. The charges remain allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case remains pending in Los Angeles County Superior Court as prosecutors prepare to move forward with the murder and child assault charges. The next known court milestone is scheduled for May 13.
Author note: Last updated April 30, 2026.