Florida DCF to review death of 15-month-old boy in Manatee

MANATEE -- The Florida Department of Children and Families will not deploy a Critical Incident Rapid Response Team to conduct a review in the death of 15-month-old Knowellan Kelly, but will still review of the case.

Deputies were called Saturday to Manatee Memorial Hospital regarding suspicious circumstances involving Knowellan Kelly. Knowellan was treated at the hospital and then transported to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, where he died Sunday night.

Knowellan died of injuries consistent with child abuse, according to an autopsy performed Tuesday. The boy had been staying with his mother, Danake Crawford, and her boyfriend, according to the sheriff's office.

The investigation into his death is still ongoing. No charges have been filed.

State statute requires a CIRRT be deployed when DCF is involved with the family in the 12 months before the child's death, in which an allegation of abuse was verified. While an investigation of Knowellan's mother was initiated four months before the child's death, none of the allegations were verified so it does not meet the threshold to deploy a CIRRT, according to DCF press secretary Michelle Glady.

A review of the case will still be conducted by DCF staff, however, and a report will be made public, Glady said.

Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter@JDeLeon1012.

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Florida DCF to review death of 15-month-old boy in Manatee ."