On September 26, 2023, 3-year-old Jackson Shelton was forcibly drowned by his mother, Brittany Medina, at their home in Mitchell, Indiana. The mother, who had a history of mental health treatment and daily use of cocaine and unprescribed Xanax, reported hearing voices that told her to "send her children to heaven" to prevent them from being kidnapped and tortured. While the father was at work, the mother filled the bathtub, told the children she loved them, and submerged both Jackson (age 3) and his 1-year-old sister Maddy simultaneously by holding them around their necks until they had no pulse. After the killings, the mother changed into dry clothes and drove to the Lawrence County Jail to confess. She was arrested and charged with two counts of felony murder and two counts of felony neglect of a dependent causing a child's death.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
All three documents confirm a drowning incident. The medical examiner report lists the cause of death as "FORCIBLE DROWNING" with ICD-10 code X92 (assault by drowning and submersion). The DCS fatality report states the children "died from forcible drowning." The news article describes the mother filling the bathtub and submerging both children.
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)
The news article describes the mother physically submerging both children underwater: "Medina then described submerging both children underwater simultaneously by holding them around their necks. The mother said she held them down 'until Jackson no longer had a pulse' and quit moving." The medical examiner report lists the cause of death as "FORCIBLE DROWNING," indicating force was applied to the children. This constitutes inflicted physical injury (choking/restraint around the neck and forcible submersion).
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?
The DCS fatality report explicitly identifies "Perpetrator: Mother." The report states "the mother drove herself to the police station and said she had drowned her children while the father was at work." The news article corroborates that Brittany Medina, the children's mother, confessed to drowning both children.
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 DCS fatality report states "Number of previous unsubstantiated assessments for victim: 3-year-old boy, 2; 1-year-old girl, 0." This indicates there were 2 prior child protection reports (assessments) for the 3-year-old victim, though none were substantiated.
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: "Brittany Medina, a 33-year-old woman living in Mitchell, was arrested on two counts of murder." It further states: "She now faces two charges of felony murder and two charges of felony neglect of a dependent causing a child's death."
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?
The DCS fatality report states: "The mother stated she had been hearing voices and believed that her children were going to have a life of torture. The mother stated she had received mental health treatment and was prescribed medication, but it did not help." The news article also describes auditory hallucinations in detail, stating Medina "began hearing 'voices in her head' that told her she 'needed to send her children to heaven today.'"
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The DCS fatality report states "The mother admitted to using cocaine and unprescribed Xanax daily and felt that the illegal drug use and audible hallucinations caused her to snap." The news article adds additional detail: "Medina admitted to taking a half gram of Xanax and a suboxone strip the night before, the evening of Sept. 25. She said she had also snorted three separate lines of cocaine."
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the source material. First, the DCS fatality report reveals there were 2 prior unsubstantiated assessments for the 3-year-old victim, yet "No open DCS involvement" at the time of the fatal event. Second, the mother's 1-year-old daughter (Maddy) was also killed in the same incident — this was a dual homicide. Third, the DCS report states that "family members were aware of her hearing voices but were not aware they concerned her children," suggesting a potential missed opportunity for intervention. Additionally, the mother had been receiving mental health treatment and was prescribed medication that "did not help," while simultaneously using cocaine and unprescribed Xanax daily, raising questions about the adequacy of mental health monitoring and treatment follow-through.
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