A tragic story is unfolding in Pennsylvania, where the parents and caregiver of a 21-year-old man with cerebral palsy are facing serious criminal charges after he was found starved to death in his home earlier this year. The young man, Tylim Hatchett, weighed only 59 pounds when authorities discovered him.
The case involves Tylim’s mother, 42-year-old Sherrilynn Hawkins, his father, 39-year-old Vernon Hatchett, and his caregiver, Loretta Harris. All three are charged with felony neglect of a care-dependent person in connection with his death. Hawkins is also facing charges of first-degree murder, third-degree murder, and theft by deception. Vernon Hatchett has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, while Harris faces additional charges of theft by deception.
The heartbreaking discovery happened on September 18 in Dresher, Pennsylvania, when police and emergency responders arrived at an apartment complex around 7:50 p.m. They found Tylim lying on the floor, severely underweight and unresponsive. His father, Vernon, was at the apartment and admitted to finding his son two hours before he called 911. Tragically, Tylim was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy confirmed that Tylim died from complications of cerebral palsy, worsened by severe neglect. The coroner ruled his death a homicide. Investigators uncovered disturbing details: in February 2024, Tylim weighed 91 pounds. By September, he had lost more than one-third of his body weight in just seven months.
Adding to the tragedy, authorities revealed that both Hawkins and Harris had been paid by Aveanna Healthcare to care for Tylim. However, they were often absent. Records showed they “clocked in” as caregivers while leaving Tylim alone for up to 24 hours at a time. In fact, between September 1 and September 18, Tylim was left alone for 82% of the time—356 out of 425 hours.
Tylim, who could not care for himself or take medication without help, relied entirely on others. Yet investigators found that Harris, despite visiting occasionally, never gave him his prescribed medications.
What’s worse, Hawkins knew her son’s condition was worsening. In September, she sent messages to Vernon about Tylim’s declining health. Despite this, neither parent took action to provide him with food, medicine, or care.
Hawkins and Harris have already appeared for their arraignments, and Hawkins is set to attend a preliminary hearing on January 10. A warrant has been issued for Vernon Hatchett’s arrest.
This heartbreaking case serves as a grim reminder of the responsibilities caregivers have and the devastating consequences when those responsibilities are ignored.
