Dad beats 6-year-old son to death, says boy ‘hit himself,’ Indiana officials say

A 6-year-old boy is dead and his father is accused of fatally beating him, Indiana officials say.

Franklin Elmore Jr., 29, and Cheyenne Elmore, 27, are charged with murder in the death of Franklin Elmore’s son, Elkhart County court records show.

No attorney information was available for either of them as of the morning of Aug. 13.

Franklin Elmore “attacked” the child in his playroom Sunday, Aug. 3, causing serious injuries that ultimately killed him, the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release. Authorities were initially told the boy had “hit himself,” but the injuries observed by hospital staff — “including a traumatic brain injury and a punctured lung” — told a different story, according to investigators.

There were many bruises and abrasions on the boy’s body, and investigators learned that the parents “would discipline the child by forcing him to engage in lengthy physical exercise and ‘whoop’ him with a belt or a hand,” officials said.

Cheyenne Elmore, the boy’s stepmother, called 911, WNDU reported, citing court documents.

During the investigation, police found video and pictures of the boy being locked inside the playroom at the home, as well as bruising to his body, the outlet reported.

The boy has been identified as Justin Elmore, WPVE reported.

Justin’s biological mother, Miranda McBride, told WVPE that when she and Franklin Elmore broke up, she let Justin stay with him because she was in no position to take care of a child.

“I (did) what was right for my son. I was homeless up here. I was sleeping on people’s porches in the snow. I was sleeping in my car when I had one. I didn’t want my son doing that. So yeah, I let him stay with Frankie,” she told the station. “And that now is the worst decision I have ever made because he would be alive even if he slept in a car with me.”

Initial hearings for Cheyenne and Franklin Elmore are scheduled for Aug. 14, records show.

Elkhart County is a roughly 150-mile drive north from Indianapolis.

This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 10:22 AM with the headline "Dad beats 6-year-old son to death, says boy ‘hit himself,’ Indiana officials say."