Police say they responded to a call just after 6 p.m. at a home in the 1200 block of Parkway Drive in Dunbar, West Virginia.
The caller, who identified herself as the babysitter, reported that a 2-year-old child was not breathing.
He was taken by ambulance to Thomas Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The victim was identified as 2-year-old Za’khi Williams.
The suspect was identified as Brittany Napier. Napier had been living at the home and babysitting the child for a few days.
Za’khi died after he was alone in his playpen when he apparently suffocated against a mattress.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office said Napier told them she had put a queen-sized mattress on top of the playpen while Za’khi was in it.
Investigators said Za’khi became pinned in between the mattress and the railing of the playpen.
On April 1, 2024, Napier was sentenced to one year for involuntary manslaughter and one to five years for gross child neglect.
Napier told the judge she made a horrible decision and that Za’khi’ death was an accident.
Judge Ballard called it a “tragic case” and that there’s no excuse for what happened. He told Napier he had no choice but to hand down the maximum sentence for her actions.
Napier’s sentences will be served consecutively, and she will get credit for time served. The judge also ordered 59 years supervision and prohibited Napier from contacting her children.
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