Investigators say a Dec. 8 emergency call led officers to a basement where the 2-year-old was found with extensive injuries.
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia prosecutors have charged Sean Hernandez, 21, with murder in the death of 2-year-old Key’Monnie Bean, who was found unresponsive in a South Philadelphia basement on Dec. 8. Two other adults, Alycia McNeill and Anthony Lowrie, face obstruction-related counts tied to the investigation.
The announcement caps 10 days of interviews and evidence collection following the 8:35 p.m. 911 call from the 2100 block of South Beechwood Street. Authorities said Hernandez, also known as Raafi Gorham, is the boyfriend of the child’s mother and lived at the address. Officials described the case as a “brutal beating,” and said early findings suggest Bean’s airway may have been restricted. The girl was pronounced at a children’s hospital shortly before 10 p.m. The medical examiner’s final report is pending as detectives seek video from nearby homes and businesses.
Inside the house, officers found the toddler on the basement floor with bruises across her body, according to prosecutors. An officer performed CPR until medics arrived, but efforts to save her failed. Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said evidence indicates Bean suffered blows from objects and showed signs of previous abuse. District Attorney Larry Krasner said investigators are working to establish a full timeline of injuries. “We should be outraged about what happened to this 2-year-old,” Krasner said, adding that the inquiry remains active and that additional evidence will be presented in court.
Hernandez is charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime, reckless endangerment and related offenses. McNeill, 20, and Lowrie, 21, are charged with obstruction of justice; Lowrie also faces a count for allegedly providing a false identification. Prosecutors said people inside the home gave conflicting accounts in initial interviews. Officials said the child’s mother was home at the time of the assault but has not been charged in the killing. Authorities did not publicly identify the specific object or objects used in the beating and said that information could come with the final forensic reports.
The Beechwood Street block is a tight rowhouse corridor just west of Snyder Avenue, where basement steps and narrow side alleys are common. Neighbors said police and medics remained on the street for hours the night of the call. By Thursday afternoon, a few stuffed animals and a small candle sat on the stoop. The girl’s father, Ta’Shaun Walls, said he wants accountability. “I hope he gets the max,” Walls said of Hernandez, adding that the family is planning services while cooperating with investigators.
Hernandez is due in court Jan. 5, 2026, for a preliminary hearing, where a judge will decide whether the case proceeds to trial. Prosecutors said additional filings, including lab and autopsy results, are expected in the coming weeks. Court dates for McNeill and Lowrie were not announced Thursday. Detectives continue to analyze statements, canvass the block and review any recovered video as they prepare the case file for the hearing.
Author note: Last updated December 19, 2025.