Boy's torture to death

In the final weeks of his brief life, little Myls Dobson suffered unspeakable acts of neglect and violence.


A New York criminal complaint released Friday at the arraignment of Kryzie King, 27, with whom the 4-year-old had been staying since mid-December, said the boy had burn marks and abrasions on his head, neck, face and testicles. There were bruises and numerous marks made by an object on his abdomen and legs and wrists -- bruises consistent with being restrained -- lacerations to his fingers, abrasions to his armpit, and bruises and scars on his back. The child appeared malnourished, the complaint said.

Myls suffered "horrific injuries sustained over a period of days," New York Police Commissioner William Bratton told reporters.

King pleaded not guilty at her arraignment in Manhattan criminal court on charges of first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful imprisonment. But Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg told the court Friday that King also was being investigated on suspicion of murder, and likely faced additional charges upon the completion of the autopsy.

In a statement, King's attorney, Bryan Konoski, said: "My client is not charged with homicide at this time and she is presumed to be innocent of allegations against her. I would tell everyone not jump to any conclusions at this time."

Shortly before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, police responding to a 911 call found Myles locked in a bathroom at King's apartment at The Ritz Plaza, a luxury highrise in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan. He appeared battered, was unconscious and unresponsive on the floor, authorities said.

The child was pronounced dead at St. Luke's Hospital at 1:52 p.m.

King told police that Myls' father dropped the child off for her to watch on December 17 and that she was the "child's primary and sole caretaker" until the time of his death, the complaint said. The father was arrested in December for alleged bank fraud.

At a news conference Friday, an adviser to the boy's mother, Ashlee Dobson, said that she lost custody of her son for financial reasons. The mother and the adviser, Tony Herbert, demanded answers from child welfare authorities.

"The city of New York put the child in the care of the father, who they knew was a felon," Herbert said. "You open up a case and then you close it thinking everything is fine? No. That has to be answered. Who did that, who authorized that?"