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Husband Of Award-Winning Nurse Practitioner Accused Of Torturing Adopted Daughter Also Arrested
Award-winning nurse practitioner Kala Blakely and her husband Bartley Blakely have been charged with attempted murder after allegedly abusing their 12-year-old adopted daughter.
The husband of an Alabama nurse practitioner has been charged with attempted murder for the alleged torture and abuse of their 12-year-old adopted daughter, months after his wife was arrested on similar charges.
Bartley Blakely, 42, was indicted by a grand jury last week on attempted murder charges, WIAT in Birmingham, Alabama reports. He was released the same day after posting a $150,000 bond. His arrest comes two months after his wife, Kala Blakely, 39, was arrested and charged in October with aggravated child abuse and attempted murder, according to online jail records. She was released on a $60,000 bond a few days later.
Following Bartley's arrest, Trussville Police Lt. Clint Riner told the Trussville Tribune that his case was "taken through Jefferson County grand jury, and there was enough probable cause to issue the warrant to him as well.
Court records obtained by AL.com alleged that Kala — who lives in Trussville and operates Hometown Family Medicine in Moody, which is now described online as temporarily closed — tried to kill her adopted daughter “by medical neglect and/or strangulation and/or starvation and/or beating her.”
An indictment alleges that she “did willfully torture” the 12-year-old Spanish-speaking child by “hitting her and/or stomping on her and/or refusing her medical treatment, and/or starving her, and said abuse having taken place on more than one occasion.”
Bartley's alleged role is not yet clear.
Trussville Police Chief Eric Rush told AL.com that the investigation into the child’s alleged tortue began in January when she was brought to the Children’s of Alabama pediatric hospital with bruises and lacerations all over her body. The child was also underweight.
The girl was released back into the care of Kala, who also has three other children.
The child is no longer in her care following her arrest. It’s unclear if she still has custody of her other children.
Kala received the Nurse Practitioner State Award for Excellence in 2018, according to AL.com.
It’s not clear if either she or Bartley has an attorney.
