An Atlanta man has been convicted of homicide by vessel in the death of Tameka Raymond’s son and Usher’s stepson Kile Glover.
Jeffrey Simon Hubbard, a 40-year-old family friend, was operating the personal watercraft that struck 11-year-old Kile and a 15-year-old female friend, while they were floating on an inner tube in Georgia’s Lake Lanier in July 2012. Kile suffered a serious head injury that left him brain dead and on life support. He died a week later at Children’s Healthcare at Egleston in Atlanta. The female friend suffered from serious but non-life threatening injuries.
A jury found Hubbard guilty on five counts including homicide by vessel in the first degree, serious injury by vessel, reckless operation of a vessel, unlawful operation of a personal watercraft, and a boat traffic violation. Hubbard’s attorney argued that what happened was a tragic accident instead of a reckless act. A sentencing hearing is set for March 5.
Kile is one of two children between Raymond, 43, and Ryan Glover, her first husband. Glover is the president of Bounce TV, an African-American television network, and previously served as an executive for Turner Broadcasting.
Raymond and Usher were briefly married for two years. They have two boys, Naviyd and Usher Raymond V, who survived a pool accident last summer.
In memory of Kile, Raymond started Kile’s World Foundation to increase water safety through implementing laws, policies, and education. In his honor, the 5K Run/Walk Spring Festival on March 29 in Atlanta will raise money for the foundation.
“I know when I’ll be running, I will be thinking of him. I’m thinking about him every day, but he was my running buddy … He kept me going,” Raymond said.
The event will be broadcast on the first season of VH1’s “Atlanta Exes,” the reality show in which Raymond joins celebrity exes Torrei Hart (Kevin Hart’s Ex); Monyetta Shaw (Ne-Yo’s Ex); Christina Johnson (CeeLo Green’s Ex) and Sheree Buchanan (former Atlanta Falcon Ray Buchanan’s Ex).