Father Arrested After Two-Year Probe into Infant Daughter’s Death

After a two-year-long investigation, a father, Joseph Napier, has been arrested in Vero Beach, Florida, for allegedly causing the death of his two-month-old daughter by forcing a baby wipe down her throat. The tragic incident took place on May 28, 2021. Authorities responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive infant, arriving to find the baby “unresponsive and turning blue.” Despite immediate CPR and emergency medical efforts, the baby did not survive.

During initial inquiries, Napier informed the deputies that his daughter had choked on a small white object and gave an account of events. He claimed to have left her unattended with his 18-month-old daughter for about 10 minutes. On returning, he found her choking, waiting approximately 5 minutes before dialing 911. Investigators later extracted a baby wipe from the infant’s throat, which had blocked her airway, leading to her death.

Detectives’ investigation revealed inconsistencies in Napier’s account, highlighting that he had spent around 30 minutes on his phone during the critical time frame. Based on the collected evidence and medical consultations, authorities concluded that Napier was responsible for the child’s fatal injury.

On Monday, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office charged Napier with manslaughter, setting his bond at $750,000. The Sheriff’s Office expressed hope that this arrest would provide some solace to the grieving family and friends.