The grim details surrounding the death of five-year-old Elyjah Hearn have finally come to light following the release of a medical examiner’s autopsy report.
The young boy’s naked body was discovered on July 12, 2025, wrapped in a blanket and discarded in a commercial parking lot dumpster in Panorama City, California. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has since confirmed that the child’s death was a homicide caused by blunt force trauma.
According to the autopsy findings, the boy endured a series of catastrophic injuries before he died. The report lists a broken jaw, a broken rib, a missing tooth, and numerous contusions and abrasions across his head and body.
Internal examinations also revealed liver lacerations that led to significant bleeding within his chest cavity. Beyond the immediate cause of death, investigators found evidence of past physical abuse, noting several blunt trauma injuries on his arms and legs that were in various stages of healing.
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Trace amounts of methamphetamine were also detected in the child’s system, and officials noted that they could not entirely rule out asphyxiation as a contributing factor.
Brycson Malik Gaddis, the former boyfriend of Elyjah’s mother, currently faces charges of murder and assault on a child causing death. Prosecutors allege that Gaddis beat the five-year-old to death on July 11 inside an apartment on Lanark Street, just one day before the body was found.
Surveillance footage obtained from the area shows a man and a woman walking near the scene; the man appears to be carrying a large object wrapped in a blanket.
While the boy’s mother was questioned and subsequently released by police, Gaddis remains in custody on $2 million bail. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman addressed the severity of the case in a public statement, saying, “This is truly a heartbreaking and horrific case, and our deepest sympathies go out to the young victim’s family. We are committed to seeking justice and will ensure this defendant is held responsible for his actions.”
In the wake of the tragedy, those who knew Elyjah have struggled to reconcile the violence of his death with the child they remember.
A fundraiser described the five-year-old as a joyful, fun-loving boy who adored his family. “His laughter, energy, and innocent spirit touched everyone who knew him,” the organizers wrote. “His life was cut short far too soon, and our hearts are broken beyond words.”
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