Aunt Charged In Christopher Thomas' Death

Aunt Charged In Christopher Thomas' Death

Michael George and Katie DeLong

MILWAUKEE – The district attorney's office Thursday filed charges against a Milwaukee woman for the death of her nephew.

One-year-old Christopher Thomas died last week.

His death is raising questions about the county's foster care system.

Thomas was an innocent victim of terrible abuse. His aunt stands accused of beating and murdering him, and Thursday, we saw her in court for the first time.

Crystal Keith didn't say anything in court Thursday.

Police say she admitted to torturing Thomas and his 2-year-old sister for months to try and get them to stop crying.

Milwaukee Child Welfare Services gave Keith custody of the kids over another couple who were not related to them.

A citizen group called the Child Abuse Review Team has been asked to review Thomas’ case.

Thursday, TODAY’S TMJ4’s Michael George spoke with one of the members of that team about state welfare agencies ask them to do in cases like this.

"To really look at important cases where a child may have died or there was an egregious incident again so that they could have that independent look themselves to try to learn anything there would be to learn from those cases,” Mark Lyday from the Child Abuse Review Team.

Keith could spend 75 years behind bars if convicted.