An autopsy report reveals 5-year-old Elyjah Hearn suffered 90 documented injuries before his body was found in a Panorama City dumpster. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office released a detailed autopsy report Tuesday revealing the extent of the abuse suffered by before his body was found in a Panorama City dumpster last July. The report documents across the small child's body, including a fractured jaw, a broken rib, and extensive internal bleeding.
The medical examiner ruled Elyjah's cause of death blunt force trauma and his manner of death homicide. The wounds were found in varying stages of healing, indicating the boy endured repeated assaults over an extended period, according to the report.
According to the Los Angeles Times, which obtained the full autopsy findings, Elyjah suffered injuries across nearly every area of his 3-foot-8 body.
The report documented:
The medical examiner also noted that "an asphyxial event cannot be ruled out," meaning the boy may have been choked or strangled, according to the Daily News.
A trace amount of methamphetamine was found in Elyjah's system. Investigators determined it was not a contributing factor in his death, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Elyjah's naked body was found wrapped in a fleece blanket inside a dumpster behind 8215 Van Nuys Boulevard, just south of Roscoe Boulevard, on July 12, 2025. A person searching for recyclables discovered him, according to the medical examiner's report.
Prosecutors allege that Brycson Malik Gaddis, 21, beat Elyjah to death in an apartment in the 14500 block of Lanark Street in Panorama City on July 11 and then disposed of the body in the dumpster the following day, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Gaddis is not Elyjah's biological father. He is the ex-boyfriend of the boy's mother, according to Elyjah's grandfather, Troy Hearn Sr.
"It's very heartbreaking for [Gaddis] to do that to my 5-year-old grandson," Hearn told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm overwhelmed and so angry that I can't even explain it."
Hearn said Gaddis had dated the boy's mother on and off for several years and accused him of stalking her. Hearn also told the San Fernando Valley Sun that Gaddis allegedly kidnapped the boy and his mother and forced them into an apartment complex near where the child's body was found.
Gaddis was arrested on July 16, 2025 by officers from the LAPD's Hollywood station. He has remained jailed in lieu of $2.05 million bail. He was charged in August 2025 with one count each of murder and assault on a child causing death. He pleaded not guilty and faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Court records show that in the 12 months leading up to Elyjah's death, Gaddis had been charged with carjacking, assault, and domestic violence, according to the Los Angeles Times. In January 2025, he was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence and had a protective order issued against him, NBC Los Angeles reported.
In May 2025, a judge issued a bench warrant for Gaddis after he failed to appear in court and his court-appointed GPS tracker was disabled, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Gaddis is scheduled to return to a Van Nuys courtroom on May 13, when a date will be set for a hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case to trial, according to the San Fernando Valley Sun.
More than 100 community members gathered in a Panorama City parking lot on July 18 for a vigil in memory of Elyjah, according to the San Fernando Valley Sun. Family members, neighbors, and local residents came together to honor the boy.
Elyjah's grandfather described him as autistic but quick-witted.
"(Elyjah) was autistic, but that didn't slow him down," Hearn Sr. told NBC Los Angeles. "He could pick your phone up and go through it, any tablet. His speech was slow, but he understood and he was loving."
L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman issued a statement saying his office is committed to holding Gaddis accountable in this "heartbreaking and horrific case," according to the Los Angeles Times.
Detectives with the LAPD Abused Child Unit led the investigation. A public tip led police to the apartment complex on Lanark Street, where they collected evidence and took five adults in for questioning, the San Fernando Valley Sun reported. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services took custody of two children at the time.
The boy's mother was among those questioned but was ultimately released, according to Hearn Sr.
This article was generated with AI assistance.