On October 2, 2023, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Richmond police responded to a report of a person down at a residence in the 1200 block of Hickory Street. Officers found a 9-month-old girl unresponsive in a bedroom with obvious signs of trauma. The child was transported to a local hospital, where she died later that morning from her injuries. On October 11, 2023, the child's mother, 29-year-old Breonna Green of Richmond, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder following a grand jury indictment. The case was expedited by detectives directly to the Commonwealth Attorney's office, bypassing preliminary hearings through a direct indictment by a special grand jury already in session.
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)
While no specific mechanism of inflicted injury (e.g., slapping, punching) is described, the WTVR article states "The child had obvious signs of trauma" and the mother was charged with first-degree murder. The WRIC article similarly notes the child "had obvious signs of trauma." The combination of visible trauma on a 9-month-old and a first-degree murder charge against the mother strongly implies inflicted injury, though the specific type is not identified.
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?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
All three documents identify the perpetrator as the child's biological mother, Breonna Green. The WTVR article states "29-year-old Breonna Green, of Richmond, was charged with first-degree murder." The 12onyourside article describes her as "A Richmond mother was charged with murder after police found her 9-month-old daughter unresponsive." The WRIC article states she "was arrested and charged with the murder of her 9-month-old daughter."
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?
All three documents confirm that Breonna Green was arrested and charged. The WTVR article states: "29-year-old Breonna Green, of Richmond, was charged with first-degree murder after she was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday." The WRIC article states she "was arrested and indicted by a grand jury for her daughter's murder on Wednesday, Oct. 11."
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?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The WTVR article includes commentary from legal expert Kevin Purnell explaining a notable procedural aspect of the case: "They decided to make the charges and start it in circuit court, and skip preliminary hearings by doing so. In this scenario, a special grand jury is already meeting so they presented the case and there was a direct indictment." The article also notes that "detectives were quick to expedite the case to the Commonwealth Attorney's office." This expedited legal process, bypassing preliminary hearings through a direct grand jury indictment, is a notable procedural detail.
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