BEAUMONT, TX – Bryce L. Ceaser, a 25-year-old Texas man, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the 2021 killing of his girlfriend’s 11-month-old daughter, Ka’Oir Stevens. The Jefferson County jury found Ceaser guilty of felony injury to a child and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury.
The incident, which took place on Dec. 3, 2021, began when Ceaser was babysitting Ka’Oir while her mother was at work. Beaumont Police Department responded to a call about an infant allegedly choking and brought to St. Elizabeth Hospital with critical injuries. Ka’Oir was later pronounced dead due to severe physical trauma, including a fractured skull and brain hemorrhaging.
Initially, Ceaser claimed the child was choking on a cheese cracker, suggesting her injuries might have resulted from his attempts to clear her airway. However, further investigation revealed a more sinister reality. Ceaser later confessed to assaulting Ka’Oir out of frustration, admitting to hitting the child to stop her crying.
“He wanted to make sure law enforcement had his version of events. He would admit to at least ‘popping the child a couple of times so she would stop crying.’ He wanted to play video games,” Jefferson County Assistant District Attorney Tommy Coleman said during the trial. “He was mad he couldn’t pay the bills, couldn’t pay for a haircut. You’ll see the autopsy photos. They’re hard to watch. This baby died from a skull fracture. The baby’s skull was crushed. This defendant crushed the baby’s skull because he wanted to play a video game.”