Ben Crump, other attorneys investigating death of 6-year-old in east Charlotte
High-profile attorneys are looking into the death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody, and are asking questions about how officials failed to intervene while she was living in an east Charlotte home.
Three women have been charged with first-degree murder in the young girl’s death.
She weighed just 27 pounds when she died last December, her body was covered in scars, and she was kept in a dog crate, according to court records. Police visited the home at least five times from 2022 to Moody’s death, including for a reported assault, The Charlotte Observer reported earlier this year.
WBTV reported that the county’s Department of Social Services also received reports of children being abused or neglected in the home, but closed investigations and cited insufficient evidence.
Now, one of the most famous attorneys in the country is among those looking for answers.
“They miss these red flags, these flashing lights,” attorney Ben Crump told reporters on Monday at Ebenezer Baptist Church. “The school said the little sister missed over 20 days. Who’s going to go check and see what’s going on in this home?”
The abuse would have been obvious to anyone who did an inspection, said Crump, who has also represented the families of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor and others.
Crump was joined on Monday by attorneys Liza Park and Chance Lynch, as well as Moody’s biological mother, Ikea McKnight.
“I just want to say my baby didn’t deserve what she went through,” said McKnight, who did not have custody of Moody when her daughter died.
No litigation has been filed, and attorneys are early in looking into the case, they said.
“We owe it to this child and her family to not only find out everything that happened but how it was allowed to happen,” Crump said.
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 1:03 PM.