In February 2023, 8-month-old Misty Delatorre was in the sole care of her biological father, Sgt. Gabriel Ceville, an Army soldier stationed at Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty), North Carolina, when he called 911 to report that she was not breathing. He told responders the baby had been vomiting and that he slapped her on the back to clear her airway. Misty was airlifted to UNC-Chapel Hill, where doctors found bilateral retinal hemorrhages, retinoschisis, and a left subdural hemorrhage — injuries described as comparable to a severe car crash. She was pronounced dead a few days later after brain testing. The autopsy ruled the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and neck, with the manner of death ruled homicide. The medical examiner's report stated the injuries were "highly associated with abusive head trauma in infants." Approximately one year later, Sgt. Ceville was charged with unpremeditated murder, involuntary manslaughter, and domestic violence (the latter charge related to another family member). He was tried by General Court-Martial and found not guilty by a military jury. Cumberland County DSS separately substantiated abuse and neglect and placed surviving children in DSS custody.
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)
Multiple documents describe inflicted injuries. The ABC11 article states the autopsy ruled she "died of blunt force trauma to her head and neck." The Independent article reports prosecutors alleged the baby was "beaten to death while in his care" and that the autopsy report stated the father "slapped her on the back to clear her airway." The WRAL article states the autopsy ruled the cause of death as "blunt force injuries."
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?
The Independent article states that "the medical examiner's report also stated that Misty's injuries were 'highly associated with abusive head trauma in infants.'" Additionally, the ABC11 article describes findings consistent with abusive head trauma: "bilateral retinal hemorrhages were found through all areas of both eyes with retinoschisis, and there was a left subdural hemorrhage."
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?
All three documents identify the child's biological father, Sgt. Gabriel Ceville, as the sole caretaker at the time of the fatal incident. The ABC11 article states "Misty was in the care of her father" when she became unresponsive. The Independent article confirms "Misty was home alone with her father." The WRAL article states the father was "charged with murdering his baby" (though later found not guilty). The death was ruled a homicide, and DSS substantiated abuse and neglect.
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 WRAL article states: "About a year later, the father -- Sgt. Gabriel Ceville -- was charged with murder." The Independent article adds: "Sgt Ceville faces charges of unpremeditated murder, involuntary manslaughter and domestic violence." However, the WRAL article also notes that he was ultimately "found not guilty on Tuesday by a jury of his peers."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The Independent article states: "Sgt Ceville faces charges of unpremeditated murder, involuntary manslaughter and domestic violence; however, the domestic violence charge is not related to his baby daughter, but to another family member." This explicitly references domestic violence by the parent/caregiver, albeit against a different family member.
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 WRAL article quotes the child's mother, Alina Delatorre, stating: "I've been taking medications ever since Misty passed, and I've seen multiple therapists, and there's nothing that has helped me, nothing that will help me with my grief." This references mental health treatment (medications and therapy) for the child's mother, though it pertains to grief following the child's death rather than a pre-existing condition of the caregiver responsible for the fatal incident.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the documents that are not addressed by the preceding questions. First, the case was adjudicated through the military justice system (General Court-Martial under the UCMJ) rather than civilian courts, because the father was an active-duty soldier and the death occurred on a military installation (Fort Bragg/Fort Liberty). Despite the medical examiner ruling the death a homicide with cause of death as blunt force injuries, it took approximately one year for charges to be filed. Per the WRAL article, Sgt. Gabriel Ceville was ultimately "found not guilty on Tuesday by a jury of his peers" in military court. Separately, the Cumberland County DSS director confirmed that DSS "investigated and substantiated abuse and neglect in April 2023" and that "All surviving children are in DSS custody," indicating a civil finding of abuse and neglect even though the criminal prosecution resulted in acquittal. The Independent article also notes that the mother had to "remotely listen in to the hearing because it was short notice and she lives in California," highlighting logistical barriers the family faced. The custody context is also noteworthy: the ABC11 article states that "just two weeks before Misty's death, a Cumberland County judge awarded equal custody to both parents."
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