'He was begging for his life': Mother grieves son fatally beaten in Augusta parking lot

When Jacinda Beverley received a knock at her door, the last thing she expected was to find a police officer there to tell her that her 28-year-old son, Elias "Eli" J'Khael Delk, was brutally beaten to death in a Dollar General parking lot in Augusta.

As a child, Delk's mother, Jacinda Beverley, said he never had an enemy or got into a fight, adding to the shock of his tragic death.

Delk, who left behind a 5-year-old son by the same name, was found dead in the parking lot of Dollar General on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on June 15. He suffered multiple blunt force traumas.

"A police officer knocked on my door [at my home outside Augusta] as I was preparing to go to volunteer at my church," Beverley said. "I don't think he realized I was Elias' mother, because he just kind of blurted the information out and then asked me, 'Well, who is he to you?' I was like, 'That's my son.'"

She said it never dawned on her that her child could be killed, especially in such a brutal way.

"He was just so focused on just being around positive people," she said. "I didn't even think to have life insurance on my son because he just wasn't a part of that lifestyle where I was concerned about someone going after him or anything like that."

Two arrests have been made in connection to Delk's death.

Creston Curry , 37, is charged with murder and armed robbery, The Chronicle reported. Tamiko Shynese Bolton, 36, is also charged with murder. Beverley said more arrests are expected.

"There's a video floating around and several people were involved in getting my son jumped," she said. "He was begging for his life and asking them to stop – he wasn't even fighting back and they continued on. They beat him with a bat or a branch. What would make someone that angry to want to do that to someone who's not even fighting back? I don't get it."

She added the video shows his last breath, as his attackers rummage through his pockets.

"Instead of calling the cops, they're rummaging through his pockets, taking off his belt and turning him over," Beverley said. "I feel like there's definitely a full video out there that needs to be turned in, but it ended up on social media."

She said she has been praying to God that she finds out what the motive was because authorities told her the suspects did not even know her son.

An aspiring musician, athlete and dedicated father

Delk, born in Atlanta, was raised with his sister by Beverley and his father.

"I kept him busy and made sure he was involved in a lot of sports and activities," she said. "I just wanted to make sure he had everything that I didn't have growing up."

Delk loved playing video games, basketball with friends and attempting to ride skateboards.

"Growing up, Elias was a straight-up Cali-like kid – meaning skateboards, Vans (shoes) and sunny beaches," Beverley said. "In fact, he still liked to skateboard, although a bit rusty at it."

He was athletic, running track in college and attending Savannah State and Georgia State universities. However, he also had a creative side and grew up playing the flute, violin and trumpet.

"He was always talented in that way," Beverley said. "He created music and has some songs already out there on SoundCloud. He wanted to become a musician, but with his son being born, he had to focus on being a father and providing support. So he just kind of put that on the back burner."

Delk worked as many jobs as he could to provide for his son, including working as a fitness instructor, maintenance technician, security guard, dishwasher and bartender.

"There was nothing that he wouldn't do," she said.

Previous employer, coworkers mourn Delk's death

Sarah Cro, Delk's former boss and owner of Finch and Fifth, befriended Beverley after his death and explained how hard the loss has been for his coworkers.

Cro first hired Delk as a dishwasher, but he quickly advanced to a chef's position.

"He was very talented," Cro said. "He worked long hours and he had a great work ethic. He did spread himself a bit thin, because the only thing he was trying to do was provide for his son. He was really funny, very positive, charming, sweet and very good-natured. He was always giving advice trying to keep the younger ones out of trouble. He always had a game plan and was hustling because he had his son as a source of motivation."

Cro said his death was traumatic to everyone who worked at Finch and Fifth.

"No one deserves that and it was very traumatic," she said. "I am no stranger to trauma. I'm a veteran, so I've seen a lot of things, but to watch the younger staff go through it. There's just kind of a turning point when the world becomes scary and I've seen some of the younger employees just fall apart. This should not have happened to anybody, but let alone him."

Beverley said Cro's support during the grief process has helped bring comfort.

"When all of this kind of blew my life up, she reached out to me," Beverley said. "He would always tell me about her, how cool she was, and how she looked out for him financially, in terms of getting him extra hours or promoting him. She always looked out for him."

Seeking justice, college fund set up for his son

Beverley said she hopes justice will be served and those who know what happened will be brave enough to turn information over to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

"It's bigger than Elias now," she said. "Do those people want that to happen to their child or to their loved one?"

Delk did not have life insurance and his family is not eligible to receive Social Security survivor benefits.

To help support his son’s future, Beverley set up a page for donations. All funds will be put in a trust account for his future education.

As of Tuesday, only $50 has been donated to help Delk's son.

To donate, visit everloved.com/life-of/elias-delk/donate.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: 'He was begging for his life': Mother grieves son fatally beaten in Augusta parking lot