Montgomery County officials have increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Vernon Hatchett, who is wanted in connection with the 2024 death of his adult son.
Hatchett, also known as Khaliyl Ward, has been on the run from police for 15 months. The 40-year-old from Glenside was charged with involuntary manslaughter and neglect following the death of 21-year-old Tylim Hatchett, who had cerebral palsy and could not feed or care for himself.
When Tylim died on Sept. 18, 2024, he weighed less than 60 pounds. A medical examiner ruled his cause of death to be complications of cerebral palsy and starvation.
Vernon Hatchett
Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office
District Attorney Kevin Steele and Upper Dublin Township Police Chief Francis Wheatley said Wednesday that the reward for information leading to Hatchett’s arrest is being doubled to $10,000.
“Vernon Hatchett is charged with neglecting the care of his son to such an extent that it caused his death,” Steele said in a statement. “Tylim was totally dependent on the adults in his life, including his father, Vernon Hatchett.”Â
Hatchett’s mother, Sherrilynn Hawkins, and caregiver Loretta Harris were also charged with neglect of a care-dependent person, officials said. Hawkins was handed the most serious charges of first-degree and third-degree murder, and pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in October 2025. She was sentenced to 25-50 years in prison.
According to the district attorney’s office, in the 18 days before his death, Tylim was left alone in his Montgomery County apartment 82% of the time.
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