BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The father of a 2-year-old girl who died earlier this year has been charged with manslaughter and child neglect, the West Melbourne Police Department said.
Police said the investigation began in mid-May after the child, identified as Jonnie Jordan, was brought to a local hospital while unresponsive.
According to investigators, Jonnie was taken to the hospital by her father, 35-year-old Jerome Jordan, and his sister shortly after 6 a.m. on May 18.
“Hospital staff pronounced Jonnie deceased,” police said in a release. Investigators initially suspected a possible overdose, the department said, because Jerome Jordan reportedly urged medical workers to give his daughter Narcan.
Authorities said the child had been transported to the hospital from 4625 Explorer Drive in West Melbourne.
The night before, however, police said Jonnie and her father had been at the Palm Bay home of Charlene O’Connell on Malibu Circle Northeast.
O’Connell is the mother of two of Jerome Jordan’s other children, according to the release. While at her home, police said Jonnie got access to Kratom pills belonging to Jordan and O’Connell and swallowed as many as two and a half pills.
Detectives said both Jerome Jordan and O’Connell knew the toddler had ingested the substance and observed her lips turning blue before she had a seizure and began struggling to breathe normally.
However, neither of them called 911 or sought medical attention for the girl, with Jerome Jordan instead bringing her back to his sister’s apartment on Explorer Drive and putting her to bed, police said.
“When he woke up, that is when he brought her lifeless body to the hospital,” the release states.
The Medical Examiner later conducted an autopsy on the girl and determined she died of a drug overdose involving mitragynine — a substance found in Kratom.
Investigators explained that Kratom is used for its “stimulant, analgesic, and opioid-like effects,” and while it may be sold over the counter in various legal forms, some synthetic blends can contain illegal substances like 7-OH.
On Wednesday, police announced that Jerome Jordan and Charlene O’Connell had been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect with great bodily harm. Both are held with no bond.
