A North Carolina man, 24-year-old Amir Devon Hines, has been apprehended by authorities following the tragic death of his 5-year-old son, Karter Holloway, who was nonverbal and diagnosed with autism. The young boy was reportedly beaten so severely that he suffered a brain hemorrhage and was covered in bruises. Hines was arrested on New Year’s Eve and is now facing charges of murder and felony intentional child abuse.
The Raleigh Police Department reported that officers were dispatched to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hospital around 10:30 p.m. in response to a report of a severely assaulted 5-year-old boy. Upon arrival, hospital staff informed the officers that the child’s injuries were consistent with a serious assault that had taken place in Raleigh. The boy was admitted to the intensive care unit in critical condition.
The police department’s investigation led them to conclude that Hines, the boy’s father, was responsible for the injuries. He was subsequently arrested and charged with felony intentional child abuse causing serious bodily injury. Tragically, the young boy succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on January 1. Hines, already in custody, was then charged with his son’s murder.
At the time of his arrest, Hines was on parole, having been released in August 2023 after serving a six-year sentence for a felony robbery conviction involving a dangerous weapon, according to a report from CBS affiliate WNCN in Goldsboro.
In an interview with Raleigh’s NBC affiliate WRAL, the boy’s grandmother, Tiffani Hines, shared memories of Karter, who she said adored superheroes and his grandmother. She revealed that Karter was spending the holidays with his father when the alleged assault occurred, leaving the Christmas gifts she had bought for him unopened under her tree.
Tiffani Hines also shared that she had spoken to Amir Hines after Karter’s injuries, and he had claimed that the boy had fallen in the shower. However, both she and the hospital staff that treated Karter did not believe this to be the true cause of his injuries.
In a heart-wrenching social media post, Karter’s mother, Madi Holloway, addressed Hines directly, expressing her disbelief and grief over the loss of her son.
Hines, who appeared in court on Tuesday, reportedly showed no remorse when informed of his son’s death. He is currently being held on a $500,000 bond.