FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – The Medical Examiner’s office has ruled the death of a 7-year-old boy a homicide after they determined his death was caused by blunt force trauma of the head.
This comes after the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office learned that Hunter Wayne Cumbie had been admitted to Carilion Roanoke Memorial hospital to be treated for injuries after a reported fall in the 1000 block of Muse Field Road on June 30.
Two days later, Hunter died while still at the hospital.
Through the course of the investigation, authorities charged 50-year-old John Robert Ebel, the child’s grandfather and caretaker, with felony child abuse and he is currently being held without bond.
The investigation remains ongoing, according to the Sheriff’s Office.