The Toddler Betrayed by the System That Promised Protection

The heart of Roxboro, North Carolina, is heavy with a grief that is compounded by a sense of absolute betrayal. This week, a grand jury indicted 49-year-old Latisha Annette Linzsey for second-degree murder in the death of 1-year-old Kemari Morgan. Kemari was just a baby—a vulnerable, “special” little boy who should have been safe in the arms of caregivers vetted by the state. Instead, on May 24, 2025, his life was stolen in a foster home that operated with an expired license. To lose a child is a tragedy; to lose a child to a fatal overdose of multiple medications while in state custody is a systemic failure that demands more than just tears—it demands total accountability.

A Mother’s Silent Phone and the Ultimate Betrayal of Trust

For Briauna Morgan, Kemari’s mother, the pain is a sharp, constant ache. She trusted the system to give her son the support he needed, believing he was in a place of safety and guidance. Briauna has shared the haunting detail that she and the foster parent had a line of communication open—an “open door” that stayed shut when it mattered most. “She could have picked up that phone,” Briauna lamented. The silence from that foster home on the day Kemari died has left a mother with nothing but questions and a lifetime of “what-ifs.” This wasn’t just a medical emergency; it was a catastrophic breach of human trust that has torn a family apart and left a grieving mother feeling abandoned by the very people sworn to protect her “special one.”

Beyond the Paperwork: The Cost of a Broken Welfare System

While a recent report into Person County Child Welfare Services cited “teamwork,” it also painted a grim picture of a department drowning in high workloads and disorganized paperwork. But Kemari Morgan was not a piece of paperwork; he was a living, breathing child who fell through the cracks of an overloaded system. The fact that he was allowed to remain in an unlicensed home—even with court approval—highlights a terrifying lapse in oversight. As community activists rally for change, we are reminded that “resource struggles” and “administrative errors” have real-world, fatal consequences. We must ensure that Kemari’s name is never forgotten and that his death serves as a catalyst to fix a broken system so that no other sibling has to be “removed” from a home because their brother didn’t make it out alive.

Resting in Peace: A Final Tribute to Little Kemari Morgan

We extend our deepest, most heartfelt sympathies to Briauna Morgan and her family. No mother should have to bury her one-year-old son under these horrific circumstances. As the legal process against Latisha Linzsey moves forward, we pray for the truth to be fully revealed and for justice to be served for this innocent soul. May Kemari find the peace and safety in the next life that was so cruelly denied to him in this one. Rest in heaven, little one.