Topline: Kasiem Stephens was convicted of homicide by child abuse in the 2017 death of Ki’Zadyn Shuler.
Published: September 28, 2025 5:00 am ET
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Kasiem Stephens (via Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office)
WALTERBORO, SC — A jury has found a South Carolina man guilty of fatally beating a 4-year-old boy with an electrical cord, concluding a harrowing three-day trial with a life sentence and no chance of parole.
According to the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, 32-year-old Kasiem Rashawn Stephens was convicted Thursday of homicide by child abuse and unlawful conduct toward a child for the August 17, 2017, death of Ki’Zadyn Shuler. He was also found responsible for injuries sustained that same day by the boy’s 6-year-old sister. The verdict came at the Colleton County Courthouse after a trial that included graphic testimony and disturbing forensic evidence.
“A little boy’s life was cut short at the hands of someone who was supposed to take care of him,” said prosecutor Tameaka A. Legette, who tried the case on behalf of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. “Instead, this child was met with a type of violence that none of us should ever have to experience.”
Stephens had been left to care for Ki’Zadyn and his sister on the day the child was brought to the hospital unresponsive. Investigators with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division later determined Stephens had been acting as their guardian while living with his girlfriend and the children’s mother, Francesca Michelle Shuler.
According to testimony presented by the state, a forensic pathologist from the Medical University of South Carolina concluded that Ki’Zadyn died of blunt force trauma to the head and neck. The injuries were consistent with a severe beating, the pathologist told the jury, and were described as “acute” and widespread across the child’s body.
Among the most disturbing pieces of evidence were items recovered from a burn pile at the home: a scorched children’s mattress, a leather belt, and a burnt electrical cord—believed to be the weapon used in the attack.
The boy’s older sister, then six years old, also showed signs of abuse, including bruising and abrasions. Francesca Shuler, 34, was charged in connection with her daughter’s injuries. She pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful neglect of a child and is currently awaiting sentencing. During the trial, she testified against Stephens.
Stephens’ prior criminal record, cited by the prosecution, included convictions for endangering emergency personnel in 2015, driving under suspension in 2016, and reckless driving and failure to stop for blue lights in 2017.
Circuit Court Judge Carmen T. Mullen imposed the life sentence Thursday, sealing the final outcome of a case that laid bare a cycle of abuse with devastating consequences.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Life Sentence for Man Who Beat 4-Year-Old to Death with Electrical Cord
Kasiem Stephens was convicted of homicide by child abuse in the 2017 death of Ki’Zadyn Shuler.
By Jacob Charles
Published: September 28, 2025 5:00 am ET
Kasiem Stephens (via Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office)
WALTERBORO, SC — A jury has found a South Carolina man guilty of fatally beating a 4-year-old boy with an electrical cord, concluding a harrowing three-day trial with a life sentence and no chance of parole.
According to the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, 32-year-old Kasiem Rashawn Stephens was convicted Thursday of homicide by child abuse and unlawful conduct toward a child for the August 17, 2017, death of Ki’Zadyn Shuler. He was also found responsible for injuries sustained that same day by the boy’s 6-year-old sister. The verdict came at the Colleton County Courthouse after a trial that included graphic testimony and disturbing forensic evidence.
“A little boy’s life was cut short at the hands of someone who was supposed to take care of him,” said prosecutor Tameaka A. Legette, who tried the case on behalf of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. “Instead, this child was met with a type of violence that none of us should ever have to experience.”
Stephens had been left to care for Ki’Zadyn and his sister on the day the child was brought to the hospital unresponsive. Investigators with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division later determined Stephens had been acting as their guardian while living with his girlfriend and the children’s mother, Francesca Michelle Shuler.
According to testimony presented by the state, a forensic pathologist from the Medical University of South Carolina concluded that Ki’Zadyn died of blunt force trauma to the head and neck. The injuries were consistent with a severe beating, the pathologist told the jury, and were described as “acute” and widespread across the child’s body.
Among the most disturbing pieces of evidence were items recovered from a burn pile at the home: a scorched children’s mattress, a leather belt, and a burnt electrical cord—believed to be the weapon used in the attack.
The boy’s older sister, then six years old, also showed signs of abuse, including bruising and abrasions. Francesca Shuler, 34, was charged in connection with her daughter’s injuries. She pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful neglect of a child and is currently awaiting sentencing. During the trial, she testified against Stephens.
Stephens’ prior criminal record, cited by the prosecution, included convictions for endangering emergency personnel in 2015, driving under suspension in 2016, and reckless driving and failure to stop for blue lights in 2017.
Circuit Court Judge Carmen T. Mullen imposed the life sentence Thursday, sealing the final outcome of a case that laid bare a cycle of abuse with devastating consequences.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Life Sentence for Man Who Beat 4-Year-Old to Death with Electrical Cord
Kasiem Stephens was convicted of homicide by child abuse in the 2017 death of Ki’Zadyn Shuler.
By Jacob Charles
Published: September 28, 2025 5:00 am ET
Kasiem Stephens (via Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office)
WALTERBORO, SC — A jury has found a South Carolina man guilty of fatally beating a 4-year-old boy with an electrical cord, concluding a harrowing three-day trial with a life sentence and no chance of parole.
According to the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, 32-year-old Kasiem Rashawn Stephens was convicted Thursday of homicide by child abuse and unlawful conduct toward a child for the August 17, 2017, death of Ki’Zadyn Shuler. He was also found responsible for injuries sustained that same day by the boy’s 6-year-old sister. The verdict came at the Colleton County Courthouse after a trial that included graphic testimony and disturbing forensic evidence.
“A little boy’s life was cut short at the hands of someone who was supposed to take care of him,” said prosecutor Tameaka A. Legette, who tried the case on behalf of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. “Instead, this child was met with a type of violence that none of us should ever have to experience.”
Stephens had been left to care for Ki’Zadyn and his sister on the day the child was brought to the hospital unresponsive. Investigators with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division later determined Stephens had been acting as their guardian while living with his girlfriend and the children’s mother, Francesca Michelle Shuler.
According to testimony presented by the state, a forensic pathologist from the Medical University of South Carolina concluded that Ki’Zadyn died of blunt force trauma to the head and neck. The injuries were consistent with a severe beating, the pathologist told the jury, and were described as “acute” and widespread across the child’s body.
Among the most disturbing pieces of evidence were items recovered from a burn pile at the home: a scorched children’s mattress, a leather belt, and a burnt electrical cord—believed to be the weapon used in the attack.
The boy’s older sister, then six years old, also showed signs of abuse, including bruising and abrasions. Francesca Shuler, 34, was charged in connection with her daughter’s injuries. She pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful neglect of a child and is currently awaiting sentencing. During the trial, she testified against Stephens.
Stephens’ prior criminal record, cited by the prosecution, included convictions for endangering emergency personnel in 2015, driving under suspension in 2016, and reckless driving and failure to stop for blue lights in 2017.
Circuit Court Judge Carmen T. Mullen imposed the life sentence Thursday, sealing the final outcome of a case that laid bare a cycle of abuse with devastating consequences.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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