Three-month-old Madelyne "Maddie" King died on July 19, 2022, of positional asphyxiation in Old Jefferson, Louisiana, while her mother Michelle Herrington was impaired by drugs in another room. The baby was found by a friend lying face down and tightly swaddled on a bed, with her face blue and body already stiffening from rigor mortis, suggesting she had been dead for several hours. In the two months prior to the death, relatives and friends had made seven welfare check calls to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, and three of those calls occurred on the day of the baby's death. Earlier that morning, the father had called 911 about Herrington's drug use but was arrested himself based on her false accusations. Deputies also conducted a welfare check around 12:25 p.m. and saw the baby alive, but left. Herrington was ultimately indicted for second-degree murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and was sentenced to 27 years in prison without parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
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 article describes the mother as being "high on drugs in another room" when the baby died and was later found "passed out on a living room couch" by a friend. Detectives "suspected the baby had been dead for several hours when she was discovered," indicating the mother had failed to check on or supervise the infant for an extended period while impaired.
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?
The news article states the friend "found Madelyne lying face down and tightly-swaddled on a bed." The cause of death was "positional asphyxiation, the inability to breathe properly because of one's position." A 3-month-old placed face down and tightly swaddled on a bed is a clearly unsafe sleeping environment.
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The article identifies Michelle Herrington as the biological mother. The article states her "3-month-old daughter died swaddled face down on a bed while authorities say she was high on drugs in another room." She was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 27 years in prison for her daughter's death.
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)?
The article states: "In the two months before the infant died, relatives and friends worriedly made seven calls to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office requesting welfare checks at Herrington's Ellen Street home, concerned about Madelyne's safety in the face of her mother's drug addition." While these were welfare check requests to the Sheriff's Office rather than formal CPS reports, they functioned as child protection concerns raised by family and friends prior to the child's death.
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?
The article states: "Herrington was arrested and booked with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, though detectives later upgraded the charge to murder." She was indicted by a grand jury for second-degree murder and ultimately "pleaded guilty Nov. 15 to a reduced charge of manslaughter" and was "sentenced to 27 years in prison."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The article states Herrington "accused him of pushing her to the ground," leading to the father's arrest on domestic abuse charges. However, "Prosecutors later refused the domestic abuse and drug charges against him," suggesting the accusation was false. While domestic violence is referenced, it appears to have been a fabricated allegation by Herrington against the father.
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?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The article explicitly references substance use by the mother/caregiver multiple times: she was "high on drugs in another room," her husband discovered "a bottle of pills not prescribed to Herrington," relatives were concerned about "her mother's drug addition" (addiction), "Toxicology tests showed Herrington was impaired at the time of Madelyne's death," and the husband "was concerned she was abusing drugs."
Notable Details
Several notable systemic details emerge from the text. First, seven welfare check calls were made to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in the two months before the baby's death, yet the child was not removed from the home. Second, the father called 911 at 2:30 a.m. on the day of death concerned about drug abuse, but "deputies arrested Madelyne's father, instead, after Herrington claimed the pills were his and accused him of pushing her to the ground" — charges prosecutors later refused. Third, deputies returned at 12:25 p.m. that same day, "spoke to Herrington at the front door and spotted Madelyne lying on the living room floor," noted the child was moving, and left. By approximately 6 p.m., the baby was found dead with rigor mortis, having been dead for "several hours." These details suggest multiple missed opportunities by law enforcement to intervene on the day of the child's death.
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