Grandparents of child who police say was beaten to death said more could have been done

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The grandparents of a 5-year-old girl who police said was beaten to death said they were in the process of trying to get custody of Zy'kerria Robinson and get her away from her mother and her mother's boyfriend.

On Monday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office added murder to the charges against the mother and her boyfriend.

Michelle Cannimore and Jonte Harris are in jail, both now charged with murder.

STORY: Mother of dead 5-year-old Jacksonville girl charged with murder

Police said a medical exam on the little girl revealed long-term abuse.

“You do a child like that, the death penalty should come into play,” Zy'kerria’s grandfather, Henry Doyle said.

The child’s grandparents said the last time they saw Zy'kerria was in July at a birthday party for her sister.

“When it was time to go back they cried and didn't want to go back, we didn't know we were sending them back to hell,” Doyle said.

And they said her mother then stopped bringing their grandchildren over and wouldn’t let them visit.

“We just started thinking something is not right,” Doyle said.

That’s when they say they reached out to a lawyer to try to get custody, but before they could begin the process, she passed away.

Action News Jax law and safety expert Dale Carson said there needs to be proof of abuse to launch an investigation.

“You have to have some way of describing what’s going on in a way that would cause investigators to believe you’re credible,” Carson said.

But there are ways to seek custody.

And for relatives who believe something is happening, Carson said there are steps to take.

“You call the Department of Children and Families Services, you do that anonymously, and then you call law enforcement if there are other indicators of child abuse. Then you hire a lawyer who deals in child custody matters,” Carson said.

Doyle said their other grandchild is now in protective services and it’s now their mission to try to get custody of her.

Cox Media Group