Mingo County, West Virginia — A 35-year-old West Virginia mother is behind bars after authorities say she woke up to find her 4-month-old daughter unresponsive in the early morning hours — and instead of calling for help, allegedly urged others to stay silent because drugs were present inside the home.
Jonda Marie Whitt is currently held at the Southwestern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility on a $500,000 bond. She faces charges of child neglect causing death and possession with intent to deliver.
According to authorities, the incident unfolded around 2 a.m. on Saturday when Mingo County 911 dispatchers received a call from a man who had learned of the infant’s death through his daughter, who overheard a phone conversation between Whitt and another individual. During that call, Whitt allegedly said her baby was dead but instructed the other person not to contact emergency services, citing the presence of illegal drugs inside the residence.
When first responders finally arrived, paramedics rushed the infant to a nearby hospital. Medical personnel noted that the baby’s skin had turned very pale and that rigor mortis had begun setting into the child’s extremities — grim indicators suggesting the infant had been deceased for some time before help was summoned.
Investigators say the circumstances inside the home were deeply alarming. According to a criminal complaint, drugs were reportedly concealed inside Whitt’s bra — the same area where the baby had been lying nearby.
During questioning, Whitt told investigators she had fallen asleep around 12:30 a.m. and woke up approximately 90 minutes later to find her daughter warm but completely unresponsive. Officers searching the scene discovered a plastic bag containing a white powdery substance inside Whitt’s mouth. She allegedly admitted to using fentanyl before discovering her daughter unresponsive.
The case has drawn widespread attention as investigators continue to piece together the timeline of events that led to the infant’s tragic death.
