On August 1, 2022, two-year-old Lanoix Andrade was found dead at the Cutty Sark Motel in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with white and pink-colored foam coming from her mouth. An autopsy determined the cause of death was acute diphenhydramine toxicity — a toxic level of the antihistamine found in Benadryl and over-the-counter sleeping pills. Her mother, Leandra Andrade, who had recently lost a custody battle with the child's father, Fabio Andrade, was found unconscious in the same motel room alongside empty pill bottles, crushed tablets, and a bottle of vodka, in what appeared to be a murder-suicide attempt. Prior to the death, the mother had sent threatening texts to the father, including "You don't win" and "It will make you cry yourself to sleep at night," while also referring to the child in the past tense. The mother survived after receiving emergency medical treatment including Narcan and was initially charged with child abuse and neglect, which was later upgraded to second-degree murder and ultimately to aggravated murder.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
All three documents confirm the child died from a toxic/deadly level of diphenhydramine (an antihistamine). The fatality report (Document 3) states "Cause of death is acute diphenhydramine toxicity." The Law&Crime article (Document 1) states the autopsy showed "a toxic level of diphenhydramine in the victim's system." The WTKR article (Document 2) describes "an empty 24-pack box and 32-count bottle of sleeping pills along with crushed up tablets" and that the "medical examiner's autopsy report confirmed Lanoix had deadly levels of antihistamine in her body."
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)
The child was deliberately poisoned with a lethal dose of diphenhydramine by her mother. While the mechanism is poisoning rather than the typical physical violence examples listed (slapped, punched, etc.), this constitutes a deliberately inflicted injury/harm. The fatality report (Document 3) classifies the abuse type as "Physical Abuse" and identifies the mother as the abuser. The WTKR article (Document 2) describes crushed up tablets found at the scene, suggesting deliberate administration of the drug to the child.
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?
The evidence strongly indicates a murder-suicide attempt. Document 1 (Law&Crime) states the mother was found "suffering from a medical emergency" at the crime scene and "The Virginian-Pilot report suggested Andrade attempted suicide by taking pills containing diphenhydramine (cops said they found two empty pill bottles)." Document 2 (WTKR) adds that "Police performed life-saving measures on Andrade using Narcan before she was taken to the Virginia Beach General Hospital for treatment" and that she was found "going in and out of consciousness" with "a bottle of vodka on the table." The mother killed the child and then attempted to take her own life; the mother survived.
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 biological mother, Leandra Andrade, is charged with the child's murder. Document 3 (fatality report) identifies "mother" as the abuser. Document 1 states "A 38-year-old Washington, D.C. woman now faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with the August death of her 2-year-old daughter, Lanoix Andrade." Document 2 confirms she was later charged with aggravated murder.
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 mother, Leandra Andrade, was charged with child abuse and neglect initially, then second-degree murder, and ultimately aggravated murder. Document 1 (Law&Crime) states she "now faces a second-degree murder charge." Document 2 (WTKR) states "New charges handed down from a grand jury on Feb. 5, 2024 added one count of aggravated murder." Document 1 also notes "she was taken into custody on the child abuse and neglect charge."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
The death occurred at the Cutty Sark Motel in Virginia Beach. Document 1 (Law&Crime) states "Lanoix was found dead at the Cutty Sark Motel in the early morning on Aug. 1." Document 2 (WTKR) confirms "Andrade was found in a medical emergency at the Cutty Sark Motel on Atlantic Avenue."
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Document 1 (Law&Crime) states that "the defendant's sister and an attorney both reportedly told a judge that Andrade's detainment has put up roadblocks in getting her much-needed mental health evaluations." Additionally, the mother's suicide attempt is documented across multiple sources, indicating mental health concerns. Document 2 (WTKR) notes the attorney's statement that "Leandra continues to suffer the grief of a lost child."
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Document 2 (WTKR) states that when police entered the motel room, "There was a bottle of vodka on the table and police had to use Narcan to wake her up." The mother also consumed diphenhydramine pills in her suicide attempt, with Document 1 noting that "cops said they found two empty pill bottles." These details indicate substance use (alcohol and pills) by the parent/caregiver at the time of the incident.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text. First, Document 1 (Law&Crime) explains a critical gap in the custody system: though the court awarded the father "temporary sole legal custody," the father's statement clarifies that "that ruling did not affect the existing, court-ordered temporary shared physical custody schedule that put Lanoix with her mother last weekend." This gap between legal custody and physical custody orders allowed the mother to retain physical access to the child despite losing the custody battle, directly enabling the fatal incident. Second, the charges were escalated significantly over time — from child abuse and neglect, to second-degree murder, and ultimately to aggravated murder (for killing someone under 14 by someone over 21), as reported in Document 2. Third, Document 2 notes police used Narcan on the mother, a medication typically used for opioid overdoses, though the stated substances were diphenhydramine and vodka, raising questions about whether other substances may have been involved.
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