Parents charged with felony murder, child abuse after son dies while living at Fort Benning

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ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — Two people are facing life sentences after they were indicted on several charges for the death of their son and abuse of three dogs, officials said. The parents were reportedly living in housing at Fort Benning at the time of the child’s death.

Ladarrion McCray, 23, from Valdosta, and Emma Bradshaw, 22, from Nevada, were each charged with the following, according to the United States Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Georgia:

• Felony murder by child abuse
• Cruelty to children in the first degree
• Making false statements
• Animal crushing
• Aggravated animal cruelty
• Animal cruelty (two counts)

The indictment alleged that McCray and Bradshaw “willfully deprived their son of necessary sustenance” during January 2026.

The age of the child at the time of his death is unclear.

McCray was an active-duty soldier who was reportedly transferred to Fort Benning before the alleged conduct. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Bradshaw was pregnant with the child when the pair moved to Fort Benning.

In addition to the murder and child abuse charges, McCray and Bradshaw allegedly abused three dogs—a dachshund, a hound and a Doberman—by failing to provide adequate food and water, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The pair’s residence was reportedly searched by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) on Jan. 28. There, officials said they found two of the dogs severely malnourished and one dead in a trash barrel outside of the home.

Following the search, Bradshaw and McCray were accused of lying to CID agents because they allegedly claimed their child showed no signs of illness before his death.

The indictment alleged that both McCray and Bradshaw knew their son was suffering from “severe malnourishment” before his death.

Officials said McCray is now subject to discharge proceedings, which would remove him from military service, due to the alleged conduct.

The dates for McCray and Bradshaw’s initial appearances will be determined by the court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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