Vero Beach dad charged in the manslaughter death of infant daughter

Within the past hour, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO,) headquartered in Vero Beach, Florida, just announced the arrest of a father who has been charged in the manslaughter death of his two-month-old daughter.  The tragic death occurred over two years ago.

On May 28, 2021, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Dispatch received the 911 call we never want to receive, a report of an unresponsive 2-month-old infant.  ~ IRCSO

The Sheriff’s Office said that the 911 dispatchers immediately began giving CPR instructions to the caller while simultaneously notifying deputies and fire rescue to respond.  When deputies arrived on the scene, located at 1590 6th Avenue in Vero Beach, they made contact with the caller who was later identified as the infant’s father, Joseph Napier, as well as his 2-month-old infant daughter who was unresponsive and “turning blue” according to the deputy.

CPR was quickly taken over by the deputy who rushed the infant to the ambulance. Unfortunately, despite the life-saving efforts of everyone involved, the baby did not survive.

During the preliminary investigation, the dad told deputies that the baby was choking and he could only see a small white object in the back of her mouth. He then gave a timeline of events and claimed he left the child unattended, on a couch, with his 18-month-old daughter for approximately 10 minutes.

When he returned to the room, he discovered the child was choking and in distress; but he still waited about five minutes before calling 911. Detectives later determined that Napier had spent approximately 30 minutes on his cell phone – which discredited his timeline claims.

During an exam of the two-month-old, a baby wipe was removed from deep within the infant’s throat. This is what caused the airway obstruction.

Based on all the evidence gathered, and in consultation with medical physicians, it was determined that the only person present at the time of the incident that could have placed the wipe that deep in the child’s throat was Joseph Napier.

After a two-year investigation, Joseph Napier was arrested by detectives on the charge of manslaughter. He is currently being held at the Indian River County Jail on a $750,000 bond.

While this investigation involved the tragic loss of life, the Sheriff’s Office said that they hope this arrest can give some closure to the friends and family.

WPTV-News shared a video of the press conference of the Sheriff’s Office making the arrest announcement.

(Source: IRCSO)

~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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