A grandmother has been convicted of manslaughter for fatally poisoning her four-year-old granddaughter by making her drink half a pint of whiskey.
Roxanne Record, aged 57, was found guilty on Friday after a three-day trial in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The prosecution highlighted that the child, Chyna Record, was forced to consume the whiskey as a punishment for initially taking just a sip, ultimately leading to her death.
During the trial, evidence presented showed that Chyna was forced onto Roxanne’s knees to finish the bottle, while her mother, Kaja Record, stood by without intervening. Kaja is facing separate charges in connection with the incident.
The child’s blood alcohol concentration at the time of her death was shockingly high at 0.680, which is more than eight times the legal limit for driving adults. The East Baton Rouge Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the cause of death was alcohol intoxication.
A 911 call was made from inside the house, and when paramedics arrived, Chyna was unresponsive and pale. It has been reported that the child was treated differently from others in the home.
Prosecutor Dana Cummings informed jurors that Roxanne never favored Chyna and often accused her of stealing food and water, leading to frequent punishments.
Cummings recounted Roxanne’s insensitive remark, stating, “Just going about my daily life, [Chyna] died.”
Initially charged with first-degree murder and child abuse related to the incident in April 2022, Roxanne was acquitted of murder as the prosecution couldn’t prove intent to kill.
Her attorney contended that Roxanne had attempted CPR while calling for help, describing the incident as a devastating accident.
“That little girl is gone. This is a tragedy that no family should endure,” said Roxanne’s attorney, Caitlin Fawkes. She emphasized that tragedy should not be equated with murder, and grief does not imply guilt.
Roxanne is set to face sentencing later this summer. As for Kaja, she was arrested at the time on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse, with her next court date coming up on June 29th.
