On the morning of December 31, 2022, 21-year-old Yasmine Michelle Lilia Butterfield and her 20-year-old boyfriend sought medical attention after their 5-month-old son became unresponsive at their home in Kalapana, Puna, Hawaii. They were met by police and fire personnel on Highway 130 en route to the Pahoa Fire Station, and the infant was transported by ambulance to Hilo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 5:54 a.m. A preliminary autopsy revealed the baby had suffered life-threatening traumatic injuries. Later that day, during an argument about the baby's death, Butterfield confessed to her boyfriend that she had killed their son. She then assaulted him with a wooden block and metal broomstick, threatened him with a knife, and prevented him from leaving or calling for help. The boyfriend reported the incidents to police the following morning after Butterfield left the home. Butterfield was arrested and charged with domestic-related offenses against the boyfriend, but no charges had been filed regarding the infant's death at the time of reporting, as the official cause of death remained under investigation.
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 to the infant is described, the KITV article states that "the forensic pathologist indicated the infant had evidence of life-threatening traumatic injuries" and that during an argument, "Butterfield told him that she killed their son." The combination of the mother's confession and the autopsy finding of traumatic injuries strongly implies the infant suffered inflicted injury.
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 sources report that the biological mother, Yasmine Michelle Lilia Butterfield, confessed to her boyfriend that she killed their baby son. The Hawaii News Now article states: "Police said 21-year-old Yasmine Michelle Lilia Butterfield of Kalapana confessed to her boyfriend that she killed their baby son on New Year's Eve."
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?
All three documents describe a domestic violence incident perpetrated by Butterfield against her boyfriend. The KITV article states: "during the argument, Butterfield struck him several times with a wooden block, a metal broom stick, threatened him with a knife, and refused to allow him to call for help or leave the residence." The Hawaii News Now article also references a "separate domestic violence dispute." Butterfield was charged with domestic-related offenses including second-degree assault and abuse of a 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?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.