Three daycare workers in Tennessee have been charged with aggravated child abuse and criminally negligent homicide following the death of 6-year-old Winter Jones, who was left alone in a scorching van for hours. According to authorities, the driver, Tametria Norry, allegedly skipped a mandatory safety check because "she was hot," leaving the nonverbal girl with autism to succumb to the heat in temperatures that reached at least 97 degrees.
Background
The incident occurred on Aug. 13 at Kid University in Cordova, Tennessee, located just east of Memphis. Winter Jones was dropped off at the daycare facility, with plans for her to be transported to Macon-Hall Elementary School by Norry, the daycare's driver. Norry drove to the school but incorrectly logged Winter as having been dropped off, according to a Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) report obtained by local NBC affiliate WMC.
In reality, Winter never exited the van. Instead of entering the school, the girl remained alone in the vehicle as it returned to the daycare and sat in the sun for several hours. Daycare staff eventually discovered Winter inside the van around 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. Emergency workers responded to the scene, but the girl was pronounced dead.
The Charges
Tametria Norry, 49, has been indicted on charges of aggravated child abuse, criminally negligent homicide, and destroying or tampering with government records. Sabrina Powe, 43, and Amilya Hardin, 21, face the same charges, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
Authorities questioned Norry, who allegedly conceded that she never checked the van to ensure all children were taken off because "she was hot." The other defendants similarly admitted they did not check the van, despite signing a log confirming that a walk-through had taken place. The women were arrested and jailed, and all three eventually posted $50,000 bond and were released.
Key Takeaways
- Tametria Norry allegedly skipped a required van check because she claimed to be hot.
- Winter Jones was nonverbal and had autism; she was left in a van in 97-degree heat for hours.
- Norry incorrectly logged Winter as dropped off at school, masking her presence in the vehicle.
- Three workers—Norry, Sabrina Powe, and Amilya Hardin—face aggravated child abuse and criminally negligent homicide charges.
- All three defendants have been released on $50,000 bond each.
What's Next
The defendants are scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 30 to address the charges. In addition to the criminal proceedings, Winter's family is reportedly pursuing civil litigation against the daycare facility and the employees involved in the fatal oversight.