Goodlettsville Father, Stepmother Charged With 5-Year-Old's Murder

GOODLETTSVILLE, TN — The father and stepmother of a 5-year-old boy who died mysteriously at a Goodlettsville townhome in December have been charged with his murder.

The boy's father, Phillip Jerome Gardner, 39, and his wife, Latonia Gardner, 42, were arrested overnight following the grand jury handing down a true bill Monday.

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Just after 4 p.m. December 7, Latonia Gardner called 911. When officers arrived, she was crying and ran upstairs, pointing at the limp body of the boy. The responding officer began CPR and he was taken by ambulance to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he died.

Latonia Gardner told investigators that the boy had awoken from a nap, complaining of a headache and nausea. She said as they walked to the bathroom, the boy stumbled and she caught him by the shirt and then held him over the tub as he vomited, before he collapsed, which is when she called 911.

No further information from the subsequent investigation has been released. Both Phillip and Latonia Gardner are charged with felony murder and being held on a $500,000 bond.

Images via Metro Nashville Police