Parental Rights

Lenore Skenazy | 12.4.2025 11:55 AM

North Carolina dad Sameule Jenkins is due back in court this month on charges stemming from the downstream impact of his arrest after the tragic death of his son. 

Sameule Jenkins and his wife, Jessica Ivey Jenkins, let their 10- and 7-year-old sons walk a few blocks to and from the grocery store in Gastonia, North Carolina, last spring. Jenkins stayed on his phone with his 10-year-old the whole way to ensure they were safe. The last words he heard were, "Legend, no!"

His 7-year-old son Legend ran into the road and was hit by a car. He died that night. 

Legend's parents were thrown in jail and charged with involuntary manslaughter and child neglect, with bail set at $1.5 million each. They were still behind bars as their son was about to be laid to rest. 

"When I asked the correction officer if there was a way I could talk to the chaplain about attending my son's funeral, he laughed and said, 'Good luck!'" Sameule Jenkins said in a phone call. 

But Gastonia City Councilwoman Cheryl Littlejohn heard of their case and got a judge to let them out just before the casket was closed. The funeral was over by the time they........

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