Kevin Gavarrete and Julia Sizemore are two killers from Indiana who would be convicted of the murder of a seven year old boy
According to court documents Kevin Gavarrete son Kayden was allegedly throwing a temper tantrum and his so called father Kevin and his girlfriend Julia Sizemore would respond by beating, burning and starving the seven year old to death
Officers would respond to the home regarding a death in the home. When Officers would find Kayden in the bedroom he was already cold and visible bruises and cuts were present. An autopsy of the boy would reveal several cuts, bruises, lacerations and that the seven year old boy barely weighed thirty pounds
Kevin Gavarrete and Julia Sizemore would be arrested, pled guilty and each were sentenced to thirty years in prison
Kevin Gavarrete and Julia Sizemore Case
A man and woman from Indianapolis have each received a 30-year prison sentence after a 7-year-old boy was starved, burned and beaten until he died — a case local prosecutors said is among the worst they’ve ever seen.
Kevin Gavarrete, 27, and Julia Sizemore, 21, were both sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to their roles in the starvation and death of Gavarrete’s son, Kayden. The couple’s charges included neglect of a dependent resulting in death and child neglect.
Kayden was living on Indy’s near southwest side with Gavarrete and Sizemore when he died in December 2024. Rigor mortis had already set in when police discovered his beaten, bruised and severely malnourished body. He was just 7 years old.
Child’s body found
Just two days before Christmas on Dec. 23, 2024, Indianapolis Metropolitan police officers were called to a home in the 1300 block of South Pershing Avenue for a death investigation. Kevin Gavarrete reportedly greeted officers on scene and said he needed help “fast.”
The 27-year-old reportedly led officers to a bedroom where 7-year-old Kayden was lying face up on the floor. The child was pronounced dead a short time later, with officers immediately noticing cuts on his head and darkening on his face.
Kevin Gavarrete reportedly claimed he had walked into the boy’s bedroom and “just found him unresponsive,” prompting a 911 call. IMPD Child Abuse detectives arrived on scene shortly after and began investigating.
Court documents detail how investigators found several bruises, lacerations, scabs and what appeared to be “small burn marks” on Kayden’s body and face. He was also reportedly “extremely” malnourished and “severely” underweight, weighing only 32 pounds when he died.
When the coroner arrived on scene, they noted that the boy had already begun suffering rigor mortis in his jaw and head, along with evidence of bruises, cuts and scabs on the face. Burn marks were also recorded on his forehead and back.
Interview with Kevin Gavarrete
Kevin Gavarrete was taken to IMPD headquarters for an interview, where he allegedly told officers that Kayden had been homeschooled for about a year due to bullying. When asked about the boy’s health before his death, Gavarrete said he had been sick and didn’t want to eat or drink.
The father claimed he had stayed up all night playing video games the night before and that he didn’t wake up until around 2:30 p.m. the next day. He claimed he knocked on Kayden’s door and told him to get up, but didn’t get a response.
After going to smoke a cigarette, Gavarrete said he returned to the boy’s room and went inside to find him lying on a sleeping bag unresponsive. Gavarrete denied causing Kayden’s injuries, saying the boy likely injured himself by “throwing tantrums” or “falling to the ground too hard.”
When asked why he didn’t take the child to the hospital for his cuts and bruises, Gavarrete told officers he was “afraid of how the hospital staff would react.” When asked about the burn marks, the father said his son must have rolled into a heater vent in his room and burned his back.
Interview with Julia Sizemore
Officers tracked down Julia Sizemore the next day at a hotel and questioned her about the boy’s death. Sizemore told officers she was not Kayden’s biological mother and that she, Gavarrete, and the child had moved into the Pershing Avenue home around seven months prior.
However, Sizemore claimed she primarily lived in hotels and would only visit Gavarrete’s home on the weekends. She claimed that during her visits a week prior, the child seemed “fine” and was walking and talking.
Sizemore reportedly later backtracked and told officers the child “was not eating anything” and would only consume drinks. She claimed Kevin Gavarrete said “no” multiple times when asked to take the child to the hospital, but that she had never actually witnessed Gavarrete hit the boy.
When asked why she never brought the child to the hospital herself, Sizemore stated she didn’t feel it was her place since she was not the mother and “did not want to get into his (Gavarette’s) personal business.”
Further investigation
Looking around the boy’s room, detectives noted that all he had was a small couch, a dog cage and a futon bed frame with a sleeping bag on it. While executing a search warrant, officers also found narcotics and drug paraphernalia throughout the home.
An autopsy performed on Dec. 23 found the injuries consisted of a ”loop style pattern,” noting a belt could have possibly caused the wounds. The doctor in charge of the autopsy said prolonged exposure to a heating vent could have caused some of these injuries, but not all of them.
“This is a devastating and unimaginable tragedy. The loss of a young life, especially so close to the holidays, is heartbreaking for our entire community,” IMPD Deputy Chief Kendale Adams said at the time. “Our department is fully committed to uncovering the truth and holding those responsible accountable. The safety and well-being of our children remain our highest priority.”
Now, over a year later, some justice has been served.
Plea deal, sentencing
Kevin Gavarrete and Julia Sizemore both pleaded guilty Monday, Feb. 23, to one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death (Level 1 Felony) and two counts of neglect of a dependent in danger (Level 6 Felony).
Both suspects were subsequently sentenced to 30 years in the Indiana Department of Correction with no suspended sentence. Several no-contact orders were also issued.
“In my 20-year career as a prosecutor, this is among the worst cases we have seen,” Prosecutor Ryan Mears said. “As a father of a child who was the same age as Kayden, it’s gut-wrenching. This resolution ensures both defendants will spend decades in prison and provides certainty for Kayden’s family.”
Kevin Gavarrete and Julia Sizemore’s sentences were both imposed by Judge Marshelle Dawkins Broadwell in Marion Superior Court 7.
