Harris Also Convicted of Severely Abusing Dead Child’s Twin Brother

ST. LOUIS, MO (November 8, 2024) — Horatio Terrell Harris, 49, was convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter in the First Degree and felony child abuse in the death of two-year-old Syncere McCoy on September 3, 2020. Harris also was convicted of felony child abuse of the dead child’s twin brother, Sevyn.

The children had been left in the care of Harris for several weeks by their mother, Sonya McCoy, who has five other children. Harris lived with his brother and girlfriend, Beulretha Smith, in a one-room apartment in a boarding house in the 5200 Block of Wells Avenue in the Academy neighborhood.

On September 3, Smith called 911 to report that Syncere was unresponsive and not breathing. When questioned, Harris claimed that the child had fallen down the apartment steps. Syncere was taken to Children’s Hospital, where doctors noted that the severity of his injuries, including substantial bruising all over his body and injuries in various stages of healing, were not consistent with falling down stairs. The child was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at the hospital. An autopsy determined the cause of death was internal bleeding from a lacerated liver caused by blunt force trauma. He also had fractured ribs, lacerated gums, and cuts and bruises on his head, arms and legs. He was missing three teeth from what Harris claimed was a prior fall.

Sevyn was also examined at the hospital and found to have similar injuries, including multiple bruises, lacerations, and fractured ribs in different stages of healing, consistent with child abuse.

Neighbors told investigators that they had often heard the sound of blows, followed by children crying.

After Syncere’s death, Harris and Smith fled the area; he was later arrested by federal agents in Kentucky. Harris had prior convictions for First-Degree Robbery, First-Degree Assault, First- Degree Burglary, and felony possession of a controlled substance.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Circuit Attorney Jeremy Crowley, leader of the Office’s Special Victims Unit, and Assistant Circuit Attorney Sydney Beecher.

The jury of nine women and three men took three and half hours to reach a verdict. The range of punishment for Involuntary Manslaughter in the First Degree is three to 10 years; the range of punishment for abuse of a child is one to seven years. However, because Harris is a prior

offender, the range of punishment is five to 15 years for involuntary manslaughter and three to 10 years for abuse of a child.

Harris is set to be sentenced on December 8, 2023, at 9:00 a.m.by St. Louis Circuit Judge Scott A. Millikan.

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