A Louisiana jury has convicted a 57-year-old grandmother in a case that prosecutors say reflects a severe pattern of abuse inside a family home, after a 4-year-old girl died from acute alcohol poisoning following an alleged punishment involving whiskey.
Authorities said the incident occurred in Baton Rouge when emergency responders were called to a home shortly before 11 a.m. on April 21, 2022, after reports of an unresponsive child.
The girl, identified as China Record, was transported for medical treatment but later pronounced dead.
Investigators allege the child’s grandmother, Roxanne Record, forced her to drink whiskey after believing she had taken a sip from a bottle left in the home.
Police identified the liquor as Canadian Mist, an 80-proof whiskey.
Record reportedly admitted during questioning that she “messed up” and “ruined everyone’s lives,” according to police accounts cited by The Blaze.
An autopsy later found the child had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.68, more than eight times the legal limit for adults, underscoring the severity of the poisoning.
During trial proceedings, Assistant District Attorney Dana Cummings described what prosecutors believed was a broader pattern of mistreatment in the home, arguing that the child was treated differently from other grandchildren.
“China never had that because her grandmother never, ever took to her, never liked her, treated her differently than she treated the other children,” Cummings said during opening statements, according to Law & Crime.
Prosecutors also told jurors that the household environment included disturbing beliefs about basic needs such as food and water, which some children were reportedly told amounted to “stealing.”
“The way that the children referred to it, the way that everybody in that house referred to it, was that it was stealing,” Cummings said. “What did she steal? Food, water. Stole water at her own home.”
According to prosecutors, the punishment on the night of the incident came after the child allegedly took a sip from a bottle of whiskey.
They claimed the grandmother forced the child to drink the remaining alcohol while kneeling in a hallway, after which the child became unresponsive.
Defense attorneys, however, argued that the state could not prove intent required for a murder conviction, characterizing the incident as a tragic accident rather than a deliberate act.
“That little girl is gone, and it’s a tragedy that nobody, no family, nobody should ever have to endure. But tragedy is not the same as murder,” said defense attorney Caitlin Fowlkes. “Accidents are not the same as intent. And grief is not the same as guilt.”
Authorities also said the child’s mother, Kadjha Record, was present during the incident and is accused of failing to intervene. She faces separate charges in connection with the case.
Prosecutors further alleged that the grandmother attempted CPR and later expressed remorse, with statements indicating she “went too far” and accepted responsibility for the child’s death.
Family members later told investigators that concerns about abuse inside the home had existed for years but were not reported to authorities before the child’s death.
One relative described a pattern of fear and silence within the household, saying, “We all failed.”
The grandmother now faces a lengthy prison sentence following her conviction, with sentencing scheduled for later this year.
The case has become a focal point in discussions about child welfare failures and warning signs of abuse inside family settings.
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