On March 23, 2023, 16-month-old Phoenix Ray was found unresponsive by her parents at their home in Polk County, Florida. Earlier that day, both parents had attended court for petit theft charges and then picked up their children, including Phoenix and her twin, from a godmother's home in Bartow. After feeding the children, the mother (who was 8-9 months pregnant) went to lay down around 1:00 p.m., and the father placed the twins in a Pack n' Play and also went to sleep around 2:00 p.m. Both parents slept until approximately 4:40 p.m. When the mother woke up, she did not immediately check on the children, as there was no crying and she assumed they were sleeping. Phoenix was subsequently found unresponsive. The official cause and manner of death are not clearly stated in the readable portions of the report.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The fatality report describes both parents falling asleep at approximately 2:00 p.m. while their 16-month-old twins were in a Pack n' Play. The mother woke at approximately 4:40 p.m. and stated she "did not check on the girls and there was no crying, so she assumed they were sleeping." Both parents were asleep for approximately 2.5 hours without any supervision of the 16-month-old children, during which time the child became unresponsive and died.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The fatality report identifies Deldrick Ray, Jr. (20 years old) as the biological father. He was responsible for supervising the twins while the mother napped, but then "put the twins in their Pack n' Play in the other room and went to lay down as well at 2:00 p.m." Both parents fell asleep, and the child was found unresponsive. His role in the supervision failure implies involvement in the death.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report identifies Ambrishel Dawson (27 years old) as the biological mother. She went to lay down at approximately 1:00 p.m. and fell asleep. When she woke at approximately 4:40 p.m., she "did not check on the girls." Both parents were asleep during the period in which the child became unresponsive, implying her involvement through inadequate supervision.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report states that on the day of the child's death, "The mother and father had to be at court for petit theft charges at 9:00 a.m." These petit theft charges are criminal charges that predate and are entirely separate from the child's death, constituting prior criminal history for the parents.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The fatality report notes that the mother was "between eight and nine months pregnant" at the time of the child's death, which provides context for why she went to lay down at approximately 1:00 p.m. and why both parents may have been fatigued. Additionally, the parents had court for petit theft charges earlier that same morning, requiring them to leave the children with a godmother temporarily. These contextual factors may have contributed to the supervision environment on the day of death but are not directly addressed by other questions.
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