Inset: Janette Clayton (North Charleston Police Department). Background: The area near where police found Clayton’s 11-month-old child dead in North Charleston, South Carolina (Google Maps).
A South Carolina mother is facing a homicide charge after her 11-month-old child was found dead inside an apartment described by authorities as filthy and heavily infested with insects.
Janette Clayton, 27, was initially charged over the summer with three counts of unlawful conduct toward a child, the North Charleston Police Department said in a press release issued at the time.
According to a press release and arrest-warrant affidavit released this week by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Clayton now stands accused of homicide by child abuse.
Authorities discovered the child on June 17, shortly before 1:30 p.m., inside an apartment on Eleanor Drive in North Charleston. The charging document states that the infant was “emaciated” and weighed approximately 4 pounds, 13 ounces.
“When they arrived, North Charleston firefighters were performing lifesaving measures on the infant, who was found partially wrapped in a blanket near the front doorway,” police said.
Emergency medical personnel ultimately pronounced the child dead at the apartment. During a protective sweep, officers reported finding few of the basic items needed to care for a child and concluded that the infant had been living in unsafe conditions.
Investigators allege that the neglect began well before the child’s death.
The victim was born prematurely in July 2025 and had been diagnosed with sickle cell disease, a condition requiring regular medical care, SLED said. Clayton allegedly failed to take the child to any medical appointments.
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The arrest affidavit also details the condition of the apartment.
“The home was in deplorable condition and infested with cockroaches and flies,” the charging document states. It adds that the residence lacked adequate food for the child.
Police said a subsequent search of the apartment supported those findings.
“Investigators later executed a search warrant and reported finding no food or child-care supplies inside the home,” the department said. “Authorities also observed a severe insect infestation throughout the residence, including in the refrigerator and drawers.”
After SLED assumed the investigation, a medical examiner conducted an autopsy. The examination “revealed [the child’s] cause of death was starvation with acute bronchopneumonia due to neglect,” the agency said.
When officers arrived, Clayton was reportedly outside the apartment with the child’s paternal grandmother and Clayton’s two other children, according to Charleston-based CBS affiliate WCSC.
Clayton was arrested on the original charges during the summer and has remained jailed at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in Charleston County, according to court records.
SLED filed the homicide charge against Clayton on Wednesday. The 9th Circuit Solicitor’s Office will prosecute the case.
The post Mother facing upgraded charges after “emaciated” 11-month-old weighing just over 4 pounds found dead in filthy apartment, authorities say first appeared on Law & Crime.
