Authorities in Philadelphia have announced that they are increasing the reward amid the search for a man who stands accused of abandoning his care-dependent son, who later died.<\/p>\n
Vernon Hatchett was charged in December 2024 with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of his 21-year-old son, Tylim Hatchett, according to Montgomery County Police.<\/p>\n
Investigators said that Tylim suffered from cerebral palsy, which made him unable to feed himself or take his medicine independently.<\/p>\n
“Tylim died of neglect, weighing just 59 pounds when he died in September 2024,” prosecutors wrote in a press release shared on Wednesday, March 25.<\/p>\n
Kansas Mom Accused of Son\u2019s Murder Gasps for Air, Clutches Chest During Court Appearance<\/a><\/p>\n Investigators also said that they learned that Tylim was left alone for more than 80 percent of the time in the 18 days leading up to his death.<\/p>\n As Hatchett, 40, remains on the run, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office announced that they are now offering a $10,000 reward for any information that may lead to him being found. The reward was previously listed as $7,500.<\/p>\n Hatchett, who police said also goes by the name Khallyl Ward, has been described as standing 5’10” tall and weighing 190 lbs.<\/p>\n Upper Dublin police started investigating the case when they received a report regarding an unresponsive person at the residence. Upon their arrival, Hatchett was found severely emaciated and ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.<\/p>\n Officials said that Tylim\u2019s mother, Sherrilynn Hawkins, and his caregiver, Loretta Harris, were both charged with neglect of a care-dependent person, according to CBS News<\/a>.<\/p>\n Father and Stepmother Arrested After Girl, 11, Found Dead at Indiana Home, Sheriff Says<\/a><\/p>\n Hawkins was also charged with first-degree and third-degree murder. She pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in October 2025 and was sentenced to serve 25 to 50 years in prison during a hearing in December 2025.<\/p>\n Joseph Schultz, Hawkins’ defense attorney, previously said his client was dedicated to caring for Tylim until she became overwhelmed.<\/p>\n “Up until the end, she was a great care provider for him, and obviously at the end it became too much for her, and she has now accepted responsibility,” Schultz said after she pleaded guilty, per ABC 6.<\/p>\n However, Montgomery County First Assistant District Attorney Ed McCann said Hawkins and Harris failed to provide adequate support despite being paid by a healthcare company to provide care.<\/p>\n McCann also expressed disappointment in how Hawkins held herself during her trial.<\/p>\n Father and Stepmother Arrested After Girl, 11, Found Dead at Indiana Home, Sheriff Says<\/a><\/p>\n “I had hoped that she would come in and make a true expression of remorse for killing this child, for murdering this child, and perhaps give some explanation as to why she did what she did, but we clearly didn’t hear any of that today,” he said, per ABC 6<\/a>.<\/p>\n