Jury selection begins for three charged in 2020 abuse, death of infant in Carolina Beach
CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. (WECT) - Jury selection began Monday, Oct. 23, for three people charged in connection to the abuse and death of a newborn in Carolina Beach in 2020.
Back in Nov. 2020, a grand jury indicted the child’s grandmother Sylvia Garner on charges of involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury. The jury indicted the child’s father Joel Garner and her grandfather Roby Garner on charges of negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury.
Adalynn Garner died on Jan. 20, 2020, at one month old “due to suffocation secondary to co-sleeping with overlay”, according to an autopsy report from the N.C. Medical Examiner’s Office. Her mother Amy Marie Miles was also charged but is not included in this trial.
The report said that Adalynn’s father Joel woke up at around 6 a.m. and didn’t see her in her bassinet, looked over and saw her feet sticking out from under Miles. The report elaborated that Miles went to sleep at midnight and woke up at around 3 a.m., but when the baby fell asleep, Miles said she was too tired and fell asleep next to her. The report continues, saying that the baby had been fussy the previous day, leading to her falling asleep with Adalynn in bed with her.
She had a history of falling asleep with Adalynn in bed and was counseled about safe sleeping practice, per the report. The report says that Miles and Joel Garner both had a history of drug abuse, and that several needles and medication bottles were found by police at the home.
Copyright 2023 WECT. All rights reserved.
