An Indiana man, aged 32, has been apprehended by authorities on charges of murdering his girlfriend’s toddler son. Ricky Larkin was arrested and charged with a single count of murder in connection with the death of 2-year-old Je’Loni Smith, as reported by law enforcement officials.
The incident unfolded on November 4, 2024, when the Gary, Indiana Police Department received a distress call around 5:30 p.m. The call originated from a house on Arthur Street, located approximately 160 miles northwest of Indianapolis. The Gary Fire Department had reported a non-responsive 2-year-old child at the residence.
Upon arrival, first responders found the toddler unresponsive and seemingly lifeless. An adult male present at the scene, who claimed to be the child’s father, informed the authorities that he had found the toddler not breathing in the bathtub. The man, later identified as Larkin, who is not the biological father of the boy, stated that he had attempted CPR but was unable to revive the child.
Emergency medical personnel rushed the child to Methodist Northlake Hospital. Despite their best efforts, the child was pronounced dead at the hospital. Observing swelling on the child’s body, the Gary Police Department and Gary Fire Department alerted their superiors to contact the Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force, Lake County Coroner, and Lake County Sherriff Crime Scene Investigations.
The following day, an autopsy conducted by the Lake County Coroner’s Office concluded that Je’Loni’s death was a homicide caused by blunt force trauma, ruling out drowning. Further details about the circumstances surrounding the toddler’s death were revealed in a probable cause affidavit obtained by a local news affiliate.
The affidavit indicated that Larkin’s account of finding the boy in the tub raised suspicions as the child was not wet. A search of the cluttered residence led to the discovery of a metal bat placed conspicuously near the bed. It was later revealed that Larkin was caring for the boy as the child’s mother had been hospitalized due to a drug overdose the previous day. Despite Larkin’s history of violence and drug use, the mother had reluctantly left her child in his care.
On the day of Je’Loni’s death, Larkin had reportedly called the child’s mother, asking her to collect the children as he had other commitments. He claimed to have been bathing the child in preparation for a friend of the mother’s to pick him up. When questioned about potential violent discipline, Larkin initially denied hitting children, attributing any bruises on Je’Loni to a slip in the tub. However, under persistent questioning about the child’s injuries, he conceded that they could only have been caused by physical abuse.
In a shocking twist, Larkin reportedly told police that Je’Loni’s death was “karma” for his past wrongdoings and confessed to being under the influence of drugs at the time of the child’s death. Larkin is currently being held without bond at the Lake County Jail.