Lakeland father, girlfriend accused in beating death of 6-year-old girl, police say

LAKELAND, Fla. — A man and his girlfriend face charges in the death of his 6-year-old daughter, Lakeland police said Tuesday.

Larry Lewis Golden Jr., 26, is the father of 6-year-old Honesty Curry, investigators said.

Investigators were called to the home on Gilmore Avenue at 10:56 p.m. on June 12 and found Curry lying on her back and not breathing, police said.

Curry was taken to Lakeland Regional Health and later flown to Tampa General Hospital due to the extent of her injuries, police said.

Hospital staff determined that Curry had severe skull damage, markings resembling adult bite marks on her thigh, lacerations on her throat and bruising all over her body. Curry died from her injuries June 14.

Golden and his girlfriend, Breonna Wren, 21, told investigators that Curry fell two times. Once, she fell in the hallway on a protruding closet door, the other time she fell and hit her forehead after she was made to stand in the corner for punishment, police said.

Golden said later in the evening he went to wake Curry, but she would not respond, police said.

Wren later admitted to hitting the child twice on the buttocks with a leather belt while she was standing in the corner for punishment. Wren said she also believed Golden hit Curry with an object while she stood in the kitchen and that caused her to fall to the ground, police said.

Golden and Wren face charges of first-degree murder and aggravated manslaughter of a child. Both remain in the Polk County Jail.

Three other children, ages, 1, 3 and 4 years old were in the home during the incident. The Department of Children and Families has custody of the two youngest children, and the other child is in the mother’s care, investigators said.

Cox Media Group