Texas woman sentenced for the death of her 12-year-old stepson, but the medical examiner uncovered a sinister cause tied to his daily punishments

Kapri Cheatom has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in the 2022 death of her 12-year-old stepson, Danilo Coles. This sentence, handed down on May 11, represents the maximum time allowed under the terms of her plea deal for the charge of first-degree injury to a child causing serious bodily injury.

According to True Crime News, the investigation began on February 6, 2022, when police responded to a home following reports that a child had sustained injuries from a fall in the shower. It is clear that the story provided by the adults in the home did not align with the medical reality. Upon arriving at the hospital, medical staff identified severe injuries that contradicted the initial claims.

Danilo Coles had suffered from internal bleeding, whipping marks, and extensive damage to his buttocks where skin was hanging off. He was pronounced brain-dead and passed away at the hospital that same day. The circumstances surrounding this case are deeply troubling. Danilo Coles had recently moved into the home with his father, Derrick Coles, and his stepmother, Cheatom, after his mother lost custody of him due to alleged abuse.

The ‘technical error’ that almost let a killer walk free

During interviews, Cheatom admitted that they subjected the boy to physical punishments because they believed he was disrespectful. These punishments included beatings, hitting the child with a belt, and forcing him to hold heavy boxes over his head. If the boy could not lift the boxes, he was required to perform push-ups. Furthermore, the child was forced to write “I will obey all people in the household” repeatedly in a notebook.

This pattern of abuse is reminiscent of other horrific cases where guardians use extreme confinement and isolation as control, such as when an adopted 12-year-old daughter was allegedly locked in her room for years. A medical examiner eventually determined that the official cause of death was toxicity due to overexercising, and the death was ruled a homicide.

The legal process faced significant hurdles, as charges against Cheatom were initially dismissed three months after the death because Texas law requires an indictment within 90 days of an arrest. It took a year for the situation to be rectified after questions were raised about the lack of an indictment. The Bexar District Attorney’s Office stated that a technical error prevented the autopsy report from being added to the case files on time, which stalled the proceedings.

Cheatom and Derrick Coles were eventually indicted in September 2023. Derrick Coles received a much longer sentence of 45 years in prison on October 20, 2025, after being found guilty of multiple felony charges, including first-degree injury to a child resulting in serious bodily injury. During the sentencing hearing for Cheatom, Judge Joel Perez addressed her directly, stating, “The injuries to this child are too extensive to not have noticed, to not have known, to not have done something about it.”

He added, “You failed to protect this 12-year-old boy.” It is important to note that Cheatom will receive credit for the time she has already served in custody. Under the current terms, she will be eligible for parole after serving half of her 20-year sentence.