On the night of October 17, 2023, Joseph M. Washington, 29, was home alone with his three children — 8-year-old Joseph "JoJo" Washington Jr., a 5-year-old daughter, and a 3-year-old son — while their mother was at work as a nurse in Kenner, Louisiana. Washington called the mother and told her he was going to set fire to their home at 4911 America Street in New Orleans, then allegedly did so and fled the scene, leaving all three children inside. The mother called 911 on her way home but arrived to find the house engulfed in flames. Firefighters rescued two children and attempted CPR, but one child died at the scene and the other two died at the hospital. The 8-year-old's official cause of death was smoke inhalation with carbon monoxide poisoning, ruled a homicide. Washington, who had a documented history of domestic violence including at least two prior convictions for domestic abuse and battery and a restraining order in which he had threatened to kill the mother and children, was later apprehended by police and charged with three counts of second-degree murder, three counts of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, and one count of aggravated arson.
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)?
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 news article identifies Joseph M. Washington, 29, as the biological father of the three children, including the 8-year-old victim. He "was home with his three young children" and "called and told her he was going to set fire to the abode." He "fled the scene in his vehicle, police said, leaving his 8-year-old son, 5-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son to die in the fire." He was booked on three counts of second-degree murder.
Was a biological mother involved in the 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)?
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 news article states: "Washington was briefly hospitalized before being booked on three counts of second-degree murder, three counts of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and one count of aggravated arson."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The news article extensively documents domestic violence by the father, Joseph M. Washington. It states: "domestic violence erupted repeatedly at 4911 America Street" and "Washington was convicted of domestic abuse and battery at least twice in 2016." The mother "filed for a restraining order against Washington in 2018, describing an incident in which Washington tricked her into seeing him and then threatened to kill her and the children." The article further notes: "The records reveal a history of abusive behavior doled out by Washington, and claims that he repeatedly hit and choked her and often attacked her while she was holding the children."
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?
The news article states: "The children's mother was hospitalized as well and is on suicide watch, a family member said." Being placed on suicide watch directly references the mental health status of the children's mother/caregiver.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
The news article states: "Washington was convicted of domestic abuse and battery at least twice in 2016, according to city and court records." These convictions predate and are separate from the current fatal incident in October 2023.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable systemic and contextual details emerge from the text. First, the news article reports that Washington called the children's mother before the fire to tell her his intentions: "He called and told her he was going to set fire to the abode he built with his neighbors and his family." Second, the mother had previously filed a restraining order in 2018 in which Washington "threatened to kill her and the children," yet Washington still had unsupervised access to the children at the time of the fatal incident, raising questions about how the family law and child protection systems intervened (or failed to). Third, the neighbors had developed a community-based warning system for domestic violence at the home: "a flickering porch light at the house meant to call police," indicating the abuse was well-known and recurrent. Fourth, Dr. Jennifer Avegno, the city's health director, characterized homicide as "a leading cause of death for children in the U.S." and called it "a public health emergency," noting that "at least 20 juveniles have been murdered in New Orleans so far this year." These details highlight potential systemic failures in protecting children from a known domestic violence perpetrator who had previously threatened to kill them.
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