Mich. man sentenced in bathtub drowning death of girlfriend's disabled son

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (TCD) -- A 22-year-old man has been sentenced for abusing and fatally drowning his girlfriend's nonverbal 6-year-old son after becoming upset and holding him under at least six inches of bathwater in 2021.

The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office announced March 13 that a judge sentenced Hunter Locke-Hughes to 90 months to 30 years for first-degree child abuse and 43 months to 15 years for involuntary manslaughter in the death of his girlfriend's son, identified by the Macomb Daily as Terrance “Terry" Adams. Locke-Hughes was convicted in February.

Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said his office is working to appeal the sentences, stating, "When a sentencing fails to reflect the gravity of the offense, we must appeal it on behalf of the victim, victim’s family, and the community."

On Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, Locke-Hughes, who was 19 years old at the time, held the victim under water after he became upset with the boy because he was allegedly misbehaving during his bath and vomited after his mother left.

According to the Macomb Daily, an autopsy showed the boy suffered 15 to 20 bruises on his head, shoulder blades, back, and near his buttocks. Due to the bruising on his head, investigators reportedly believe Adams made efforts to survive the drowning.

In an interview with police, Locke-Hughes eventually confessed he pushed onto Adams' shoulders and held him underwater, but he insisted he kept the child's head above water with his fingers, the Macomb Daily reports.

Locke-Hughes reportedly claimed the child died while he was on the phone with Adams' mother after taking him out due to feces in the bathtub. According to the Macomb Daily, prosecutors argued the boy drowned before the call, and evidence revealed the defendant was angry while on the phone.

Locke-Hughes called 911, and officials noticed a large amount of feces in the bathtub likely from the body's response to death. Additionally, the medical examiner testified in court and reportedly said the child likely died by the time paramedics arrived due to the difficulty of opening his clenched jaw.

According to the Macomb Daily, Locke-Hughes cared for Adams and the boy's 23-month-old sister. Family members had called Child Protective Services because they suspected Adams had been abused previously.

A month before the drowning, Adams was reportedly removed from the home due to a black eye but returned 10 days later.

According to his obituary, Adams was born with CHARGE syndrome, which the National Library of Medicine describes as an inherited disorder that stands for "coloboma, heart disease, atresia of the choanae, retarded growth and mental development, genital anomalies, and ear malformations and hearing loss." Adams' condition inhibited his ability to speak, and he couldn’t see in one eye and required a stomach tube to eat.

Adams' obituary states he "overcame many obstacles, such as learning to walk, partially seeing, and many more challenges."

MORE:

• Fraser Man Sentenced for Convictions in Drowning of Six Year Old Special Needs Child, Prosecutor’s Appealing - Macomb County Prosecutor's Office
• Mich. man convicted of drowning girlfriend’s special-needs 6-year-old son in bathtub, 2/5/2024 - TCD
• Terrance "Terry" Adam's Obituary - Dignity Memorial
• Man convicted of manslaughter, child abuse in Clinton Township drowning, 2/5/2024 - The Macomb Daily
• Fraser Man Guilty of Drowning Six Year Old Special Needs Child, 2/5/2024 - Macomb County Prosecutor's Office