A mother from Perry, Florida is still in shock three years after her 2-and-a-half-month-old baby fell in a mop bucket with water on the child’s first day at daycare. The owner of the daycare claimed that the baby had somehow scooted backwards into the bucket while lying on her back on a changing table.
In a video interview obtained by The North Carolina Beat, detectives from the Perry Police Department confronted the daycare owner, stating that a childcare medical expert told them it was impossible for a 2-month-old baby to crawl backwards 18 inches into a mop bucket.
Martasha Robinson, the mother of 2-month-old Jersi McKnight, told The North Carolina Beat that three months after her daughter’s death, a grand jury chose not to charge Delores Hugger, the owner of Hugger Family Daycare, which was state-licensed at the time.
What happened to 2-month-old Jersi Mcknight?
Robinson recounted that on the morning of August 9, 2021, she dropped Jersi off at Hugger Family Daycare on Alice Street in Perry. Later that day, she received a call from another parent at the daycare.
“She’s screaming on the phone, and I can barely hear what she is saying. I said ‘huh’ because at first I thought she was saying ‘daddy,’ but she was saying ‘Debby’ and that she was calling about my baby falling into some water,” Robinson said.
Rushing out of her job, she heard sirens and later learned they were going to Alice Street for her child. Upon arriving at the daycare, Robinson was met with police, an ambulance, and yellow crime scene tape surrounding Hugger’s home.
“I got out of my car and just ran full speed towards the house when three cops grabbed me and said ‘no, no, no.’ They informed me that the ambulance had just taken my baby and was on its way to the hospital,” said Robinson.
Officers instructed her to go to the hospital, where she waited for nearly 45 minutes before doctors told her that they had done everything possible to save Jersi, but she had died from her injuries.
Robinson said that before enrolling her daughter in the daycare, she said Hugger discussed that she would be caring for 5 children with an assistance helping her. However, on the day her daughter started, no assistance was there.
State’s Attorney John Weed said he was going to charge Hugger with manslaughter and negligence charges
During the police investigation, Robinson said prosecutor John Nigel Weed from the third circuit State’s Attorney’s office indicated they would pursue manslaughter charges against Hugger due to evident negligence and child endangerment but never happened.
“He told me that they were going to get her and that it would be manslaughter charges. It was obvious culpable negligence and child endangerment,” she said.
Daycare owner claims she left Jersi McKnight in the middle of a changing table
According to Robinson, she said Hugger claimed she left her daughter in the middle of the changing table and that the yellow mop bucket was on the ground beside the changing table.
SEE BELOW:
“She said my daughter scooted, and they asked her where she was. She replied that she went to the kitchen to warm up food for the other kids,” Robinson said.
Robinson said there were four other children at the daycare, and Hugger stated they were strapped into their chairs, which confused Robinson.
“How is it that these other kids are strapped down, and my child, who is 3 feet in the air on a changing table, is not strapped down?” said Robinson. “Why all these kids secured and mine is not?”
Instead of placing Jersi on the changing table with the mop bucket beside her feet, Hugger, the bucket was behind Jersi’s head. Investigators measured the distance from where Jersi was said to be placed to the mop bucket at 18 inches.
Measurements also showed that Jersi was 3 feet from the ground. Hugger also told the police that she had turned around to get a plate of food after placing Jersi on the changing table.
READ REPORT BELOW:
State’s attorney John Weed reportedly got sick while working on Jersi’s case
The initial prosecutor, John Weed, had assured Robinson that charges would be filed against Hugger. However, when Weed fell ill, another state’s attorney took over the case. Robinson, who is currently a probation officer in the state of Florida, has observed how court cases are often postponed due to attorneys’ scheduling conflicts or illnesses. Instead of retaining State’s Attorney Weed on the case when he became ill, another state’s attorney prosecutor was assigned to the case.
“Mind you, I am a state probation officer in the state of Florida and I’ve seen court cases get post-poned, motions in court get pushed back and rescheduled due to hurricanes, storms, and everything. You mean to tell me when a state’s attorney get sick that they can’t reschedule and postpone it.?”
New state’s attorney assigned to the case, John Foster Durrett presented the case before a grand jury
On November 10, 2021, a grand jury met at The Taylor County Courthouse, where the new state’s attorney, Durrett, presented the case. Robinson stated that Durrett did not file charges against Hugger but instead asked the grand jury if they should pursue charges. She testified that her daughter was not strong enough to move 18 inches backwards.
“I testified that my daughter was not strong enough to move 18 inches and she wasn’t active as this lady [Hugger] was making her to be,” Robinson said. “My daughter did not kill herself and I had to get on a stand and say that three months after burying her.”
Robinson expressed doubt that the grand jury saw crucial evidence, including photos and the police interview with Hugger.
“In a grand jury setting, it’s up to the state’s attorney to elaborate on all of these legal terms to the jury, and I don’t know what John Durrett said or did … I don’t know if he tried to make my baby have superpowers or something,” Robinson told The North Carolina Beat.
The details of how the case was presented to the grand jury remain sealed, and ultimately, the grand jury decided not to charge Hugger in a 10-8 vote
“I don’t even know if the 10-8 decision was not to indict or what, that’s just what they told me,” Robinson said.
Robinson feels frustrated that Hugger did not face any charges for child abuse or endangerment, despite admitting to leaving Jersi unattended while she went to get food.
“Ten people might have said she didn’t intentionally kill my child, but ten people didn’t say she wasn’t negligent,” Robinson said. “She told y’all that she left her on the table, or did she not say that in the courtroom? Because I don’t know what was said in the courtroom… I can’t get that information… they won’t give me that information.”
Perry Florida Police Department Speaks with Hugger Family Daycare owner
In a brief video clip obtained by The North Carolina Beat, detectives interviewed Hugger for over 17 minutes, during which she claimed Jersi had strength, but Detective Ray Kellerman interrupted her, stating that experts disagreed with her assertion.
“Ms. Hugger, I’m not going to sit here and argue this with you … Ima tell you what the fact is … I spoke to a child medical expert and he said a 2 and half month old could’ve not crawled off that table, period, “Kellerman told Hugger.
Detectives asked Hugger if she had any evidence that Jersi was strong. She claimed that she had a video showing the child using her head to crawl backwards into a mop bucket. When detectives requested to see the video, Hugger refused, fearing that they would use it against her.
WATCH POLICE TALK TO DAYCARE OWNER BELOW:
Robinson expressed gratitude for the detectives’ hard work on her daughter’s case but remains perplexed as to why Hugger was not charged.
Autopsy shows no head trauma to baby Jersi from alleged fall
An autopsy obtained by The North Carolina Beat reveals that “Skeletal survey is negative for traumatic injuries or congenital abnormalities.” The autopsy determined Jersi’s cause of death as drowning, while her manner of death remains undetermined.
LOOK AT FINAL AUTOPSY DIAGNOSIS BELOW:
The North Carolina Beat reached out to the Perry state’s attorney’s office and the elected state’s attorney office in Lake City – both who have not yet responded to our emails.
Email state’s attorney John Durrett and tell him to re-open Jersi McKnight’s case: [email protected]
The family should file a civil suit against the daycare owner. It was basic neglect.
Wow!! Absolutely ZERO remorse during that interview! Even if it was purely accidental & even IF that little angel had the strength to “scoot” herself off of that table & into that bucket (which is a damn lie), the truth of the matter is A BABY DIED IN YOUR CARE & YOU DON’T SHOW ONE BIT OF SADNESS ABOUT IT!! I would be a wreck if a child was injured in my care, let alone died?!! Yet, instead, she stands their with thee stankest attitude & almost as if she’s angry or bothered! Nah! LOCK HER @$$ ALL THE WAY TF UP!! SMFH
It doesn’t matter if Jersi crawled or slid off the table. The fact is that she was left unattended, which is careless neglect for any caregiver or parent with a child in their care. And what was she doing for so long that the baby had time to drown even if she had fell into the bucket, she didn’t hear a crash or noise? Just more proof that she simply was not paying attention to this baby!
This is utter BS. She should be charged for baby Jersi’s death. PLEASE PLEASE REOPEN THE CASE!!!!!! #justiceforjersi
Yes, this case needs to reopened. Leaving a baby on a table unattended to go get food is beyond ridiculous. She seems to have no remorse during her questioning.
John Durrett, please please please, reopen this case and pursue this case with the aggressive determination that you had before you became ill.
She definitely needs to be held accountable and never able to care for even an animal.
This is beyond ridiculous and sad!!! PLEASE REOPEN THIS CASE BECAUSE SHE NEEDS TO PAY FOR WHAT SHE DID