LEONARDTOWN, Md. — Authorities have indicted a Great Mills man in the death of an 11-year-old boy, ruled a St. Mary’s County child abuse homicide by the state’s medical examiner. Tyrone Edward Proctor, 40, faces multiple felony charges stemming from a May incident that prompted an extensive investigation by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 8, 2025, deputies and emergency medical services responded to the 22000 block of Castle Pollard Way in Great Mills after reports of the juvenile not breathing. Responders attempted life-saving measures before transporting the boy to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The body was sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy. Examiners later classified the death as a homicide, indicating intentional actions led to the fatal outcome.
Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division took over the case, gathering evidence through interviews, scene analysis and multiple search warrants. Their efforts culminated in a grand jury indictment served to Proctor on August 12, 2025, while he was already detained at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown on separate charges since July 19, 2025.
The indictment includes first-degree child abuse contributing to the death of a child under 13, first-degree child abuse as a course of conduct, first-degree child abuse causing severe physical injury, second-degree child abuse and reckless endangerment. In Maryland, first-degree child abuse applies to acts by a parent, household member or caregiver that result in death, severe injury or a pattern of abusive behavior. The charge linked to death carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. Other first-degree counts can lead to up to 25 years each. Second-degree child abuse, involving physical harm without the severity of first-degree offenses, is punishable by up to 15 years. Reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor for creating substantial risk of serious injury, has a maximum of five years.
Grand juries in Maryland review evidence in secret sessions to determine probable cause for felony charges, ensuring cases proceed only with sufficient basis before trial in circuit court. Prosecutors must prove elements like intent, the relationship to the victim and the nature of injuries beyond a reasonable doubt. Evidence from warrants and the medical examiner’s report, detailing cause of death, will be central if the case advances.
Investigators continue seeking details to bolster the case. Anyone with information should contact Detective Allison Mattera at 301-475-4200, extension 8124, or Allison.Mattera@stmaryscountymd.gov.
