Indian River County - Thursday August 31, 2023: After a two-year investigation Indian River County Sheriff Deputies (IRCSO) have arrested Joseph Napier on a charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of his baby daughter.
On May 28, 2021, the IRCSO Public Safety Dispatch got a 911 call from Napier who said his two-month old daughter was unresponsive. The dispatcher immediately began giving CPR instructions to Napier while simultaneously notifying deputies and fire rescue to respond to Napier's home in 1500 block of 6th Avenue in Vero Beach.
Upon arrival the girl was found to be unresponsive and turning blue. One of the deputies immediately began administering CPR to the child and rushed her to a waiting ambulance. But despite the life-saving efforts, the infant died.
During a post-mortem exam a baby wipe was found deep within the infants throat which caused the airway obstruction and led to the child's death.
According to a release from the Sheriff's office, Napier told deputies the infant had choked, and he could only see a small white object in the back of her mouth.
Napier then gave a timeline of events. He claimed that he left the child unattended, on a couch, with his 18-month-old daughter for approximately 10 minutes. When he returned to the room he discovered the child was choking and in distress, although he waited approximately 5 minute before calling 911.
However, as a result of their investigation, IRCSO detectives learned that Napier's timeline was inaccurate because he had spent about 30 minutes on his cell phone.
"Based on all of the evidence," states the IRCSO release, "and in consultation with medical physicians, it was determined that the only person present at the time of the incident that could have placed the wipe that deep in the child’s throat was Joseph Napier."
Following this two-year investigation, Joseph Napier was arrested by IRCSO detectives on the manslaughter charge. He is currently being held at the Indian River County Jail on a $750,000 bond.