POLICE: BEATING KILLED BOY

By Pat Reese

A Fayetteville woman who hit her 4-year-old son with a computer keyboard was charged Friday with his death, Sheriff Moose Butler said.

Eddiesenior Jones McLauchlin, who is 45, was charged with first-degree murder and felony child abuse, Butler said.

The child, Cory McLauchlin, was pronounced brain dead at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center about 7:15 a.m. Friday. Butler said the child is being kept alive on a life-support system until his father, a Fort Bragg solder, arrives home from Bosnia this weekend.

Butler said both parents agreed for physicians to discontinue life support. But the mother asked that the child remain on a life-support system until her husband has a chance to be with him for a few minutes.

Mrs. McLauchlin, who lives at 8212 Einstein Drive off Hoke Loop Road, was jailed without bond. A first-appearance hearing is scheduled for Monday.

The sheriff's department learned about 5:30 a.m. that the boy had been taken by ambulance to the hospital and had no chance of survival, Lt. Cliff Massengill said.

Just before 5 a.m., a sheriff's deputy and medics arrived at the McLauchlin home.

McLauchlin was very excited, according to a sheriff's report, and led them upstairs to the boy.

Cory was lying on his back, eyes open, when medics found him. It appeared that he was not breathing.

Massengill said there were significant signs of abuse about Cory's body. His hands were burned, apparently by scalding water. He had bruises on his back, abdomen and legs and a large knot on his forehead, Massengill said.

The detective said Mrs. McLauchlin told officers that she realized the boy was seriously ill when he apparently got out of bed to go to the bathroom sometime between 4 and 4:30 a.m.

INJURIES INFLICTED

Mrs. McLauchlin told the deputy that when Cory got up to go to the bathroom, he stumbled against something, struck his temple, and then acted ``goofy,'' according to the report.

She later noticed he was unconscious and called for help, the report said.

Massengill said the injuries apparently were inflicted Wednesday. McLauchlin admitted she struck the child with a computer keyboard but did not believe she hit him hard enough to cause serious injury or death, according to Massengill.

The child's father, whose Fort Bragg unit is in Bosnia, talked with detectives by telephone shortly before he boarded a plane to return home.

ANOTHER CHILD

Massengill said the McLauchlins lived in Texas until they came to Fort Bragg about two years ago.

A second child, who is 8, was placed in Department of Social Service custody at the mother's request several months ago.