James Joseph Smith and Angel Talbert, Braxton County, West Virginia parents of 4 month old baby girl charged with murder and child neglect after rubbing alcohol on the girl’s gums whenever infant was being fussy and irritable, causing girl to die. Parents claim they had no idea that it would kill child.
The parents of a West Virginia 4 month old baby girl have been charged with her murder after rubbing the infant’s gum with alcohol in a bid to quiet her whenever ‘she was being fussy’.
James Joseph Smith, 34, and Angel Talbert, 23, both of Gassaway, Braxton County, following their arrest last week, were each charged with first-degree murder, child neglect resulting in death and conspiracy, according to the Braxton County Sheriff’s Department.
The father and mother’s arrest follows the baby dying on Nov. 16, 2024.
Parents claimed not knowing rubbing alcohol on child’s gums would kill 4 month old baby
Earlier this month, deputies received the medical examiner’s results, which stated that the baby’s liver tissue was positive for ethanol ( breakdown reside of alcohol) with a reading of 3.210. A doctor told deputies that 3.210 would be fatal to an infant child, according to court documents cited by WDBJ.
An investigation showed that Smith and Talbert had been rubbing alcohol on the baby’s gums almost every day for a month prior to her death whenever she would get irritable and fussy, court documents stated.
During the initial interview with the couple in November, Smith told deputies that Talbert woke up to use the restroom between 4 and 5 a.m. and told him to check on the baby. He said that the infant was not breathing and that she was face down.
Smith said Talbert immediately called 911, and he started to perform CPR. They eventually loaded the baby into their vehicle and were traveling to the hospital when they met the ambulance at the bottom of the driveway.
At approximately 5:15 a.m., the baby was put into the ambulance, and at approximately 5:32 a.m., she was pronounced dead, deputies said.
While deputies were at the couple’s home, they said there were roaches crawling in multiple places throughout the home, and there was no running water in the kitchen or bathroom.
Smith told deputies that they used a spigot in the back room for water and would fill up containers to take them to the bathroom and kitchen when needed.
While in the back room, deputies also saw smoking apparatuses, which they said were used to smoke THC.
After receiving the medical examination results earlier this month, two more interviews were conducted with the couple, in which Smith reportedly admitted they both had been rubbing alcohol on the baby’s gums.
‘After explaining the results the mother and father stated they didn’t know how the alcohol would be in the child’s liver tissue,’ an affidavit stated. ‘Both parents stated that the baby was healthy and was not on any type of prescribed medication or over the counter medication.’
Smith and Talbert are both currently in the Central Regional Jail with no bond set.
