One-year-old Emoni Chanel Lee McGrone died on August 23, 2022, from asphyxia due to smothering, ruled a homicide. She was being babysat by her 14-year-old sister at the family's apartment in People Serving People, a homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis, when the incident occurred. Police believe the teen suffocated the child; the police report classified the weapon type as hands, fists, or feet. The 14-year-old sister was arrested on September 2, 2022, and charged with first-degree manslaughter in juvenile court. She was subsequently found incompetent to stand trial due to lacking the maturity and intellect to understand and participate in her own defense, and was placed under court-ordered child protection with a relative while receiving mental health treatment.
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 sources confirm the child was intentionally smothered/suffocated. The vital records document states the cause of death was "Asphyxia Due To Smothering" with an injury description of "Decedent Was Injured By Another Person." The Star Tribune article reports the police report classified the "weapon type" as "any combination of hands, fists or feet." The second Star Tribune article states "police believe Emoni McGrone was suffocated by the teen on Aug. 23."
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?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
The 14-year-old sister was explicitly described as babysitting at the time of the death. The first Star Tribune article states she had "a role in the death of her 1-year-old sister last summer while babysitting the child at a homeless shelter." The Patch article confirms "the teenager was babysitting her little sister at People Serving People... when the child died." While the perpetrator is a sibling (captured in question 122), she was also functioning as a babysitter at the time.
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?
Multiple sources confirm a sibling was directly involved in the death. The first Star Tribune article states "A 14-year-old girl has been arrested and accused of having a role in the death of her 1-year-old sister." The second Star Tribune article states "police believe Emoni McGrone was suffocated by the teen on Aug. 23." The Patch article confirms "The toddler's sister — a 14-year-old girl — was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter."
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?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Multiple documents confirm the family was living at People Serving People, a homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis, at the time of the death. The first Star Tribune article states the child stopped breathing "at the People Serving People site at Portland Avenue and S. 3rd Street." The ME report lists the location of injury as "614 South 3rd Street, Minneapolis Minnesota 55415." The second Star Tribune article refers to "the family's People Serving People apartment." The Patch article confirms "People Serving People, a homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis."
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The second Star Tribune article reports that a court-ordered psychological assessment found the 14-year-old teen (who was acting as caregiver/babysitter at the time of the death) "was incompetent, for now, to stand trial because she lacks the maturity and intellect to properly understand and participate in her own defense." The specific reference to lacking "intellect" alongside maturity could suggest cognitive limitations, though this is in the context of legal competency rather than a formal intellectual disability diagnosis.
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The second Star Tribune article states that the 14-year-old caregiver (who was babysitting at the time) "receives mental health treatment that could lead to the court deciding she is competent and the case against her can proceed." This explicitly references mental health treatment for the caregiver involved in the death.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The first Star Tribune article reports that during a search of the family's apartment the night of Emoni's death, police seized "two bags of 'suspected narcotics'" among other items. While the narcotics are not attributed to a specific person, they were found in the family's living space, which could suggest substance use by a parent or caregiver. However, no explicit confirmation is provided of who the narcotics belonged to.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text. First, the perpetrator was a 14-year-old sibling, and the second Star Tribune article reports that "a court-ordered psychological assessment found the teen was incompetent, for now, to stand trial because she lacks the maturity and intellect to properly understand and participate in her own defense." Charges remain pending while she receives mental health treatment. She was released from the Juvenile Detention Center and placed with a relative under court-ordered child protection. Additionally, the first Star Tribune article notes that "Minnesota juvenile criminal court records are only accessible to the public if the offense is a felony and the youth is at least 16 years old," meaning the details of the case were largely sealed. The child protection records, rather than the criminal records, were the vehicle through which key details of the alleged killing became public.
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