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Autopsy: Burns covered 15% of toddler's body

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Burns covered 15 percent of a toddler's body and pathologists also found several blunt-force injuries that may have contributed to the boy's death.

Jayvion Johnson, a 23-month-old, died on the morning of July 8. The autopsy was completed one day later, but the completed autopsy report was not completed until last week.

According to the report released Monday afternoon, the pathologists found two types of "thermal injuries," or burns, covering 15 percent of the child's skin. The other injuries included contusions and abrasions to his scalp, face and extremities; hemorrhages in the muscle on the left side of his head, liver and inside his mouth; a contusion of the left kidney; and extensive bruising.

The hemorrhage inside the child's mouth may have contributed to asphyxia, leading to his death, but the pathologists wrote in the report that theory could not be confirmed.

The office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Jayvion's death was a homicide. His mother, Candice Lampley, 29, and her boyfriend, Delonta Crank, 36, are accused in connection with the death.

Following the arrests of Lampley and Crank, 7NEWS Investigator John Ferrugia uncovered that Denver Human Services had a total of six previous referrals regarding Jayvion's family. Sources said the most recent report was during 2013, when an infant tested positive for THC -- the active ingredient in marijuana.

However, DHS had "screened out" the referrals and never checked on the family.

Both Crank and Lampley have had past trouble with the law.

In 2007, Crank was arrested in Denver on investigation of menacing with a weapon, assault and child abuse, according to arrest records. He pleaded guilty to felony menacing with a real or simulated weapon and prosecutors dismissed the assault charge, court records show. He was never formally charged with child abuse in that case.  

He was initially sentenced to probation for the menacing conviction, but after having his probation revoked three times, he was sentenced to one year in the Department of Corrections, court records show.

Candice Lampley was arrested on Jan. 14 in Denver for disturbing the peace and destruction of private property at her home at 1645 E. 17th Ave. She pleaded guilty to both charges and was granted a deferred judgment, which would have allowed her to clear her record if she had stayed out of trouble with the law.

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