A Baton Rouge jury returned a guilty verdict for manslaughter on Friday against 57-year-old Roxanne Record, following a three-day trial centered on the alcohol-poisoning death of her granddaughter, China.
While Record originally faced first-degree murder charges for the 2022 incident, the jury opted for the lesser conviction after hearing testimony regarding the events that led to the girl’s death.
The trial detailed a grim scene in which the 4-year-old was forced to her knees and made to “chug” the remainder of a bottle of Canadian Mist whiskey.
Prosecutors argued the act was a punishment after the child took a single sip from the bottle. By the time emergency responders arrived at the Wallis Street home, the child was already gray in the face and had stopped breathing.
Medical evidence presented during the proceedings revealed the extreme level of toxicity in the child’s system.
The East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office reported that China’s blood-alcohol content was 0.680% at the time of her death. This level is more than eight times the legal driving limit for an adult and was officially ruled as acute alcohol poisoning.
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Throughout the trial, Assistant District Attorney Dana Cummings characterized the household as an environment where China was singled out for harsh treatment.
Cummings told jurors that the grandmother viewed the child’s basic needs as transgressions.
“The way that the children referred to it… was that it was stealing,” Cummings said during the trial. “What did she steal? Food, water. Stole water at her own home.” The prosecution further alleged that Record remained indifferent to the child’s physical decline, stating she “just went on with daily life” while the girl was dying.
The defense maintained that the death was a tragic accident rather than an intentional killing, highlighting that Record attempted CPR once she realized the severity of the situation. However, the jury’s verdict confirms they found Record’s actions reached the level of criminal homicide.
The child’s mother, Kadjah Record, was present during the incident but reportedly did not intervene. She has been charged separately with first-degree murder and cruelty to a juvenile.
Following Friday’s verdict for the grandmother, the mother is expected back in court for a hearing on June 29. Roxanne Record now awaits sentencing following her manslaughter conviction.
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