By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Three employees of a Memphis daycare have been indicted following the death of 6-year-old Winter Jones, who authorities say was left for hours inside a van on a hot August day.
Tametria Norry, Sabrina Powe and Amilya Hardin each face charges of aggravated child neglect, criminally negligent homicide, and destruction of and tampering with governmental records. Norry drove the van, Powe served as Kid University’s assistant director, and Hardin worked as an assistant, according to published reports. An indictment is an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Winter was dropped off at Kid University on Aug. 13 and was supposed to be transported to Macon Hall Elementary School. Investigators say the van reached the school, but Winter apparently remained aboard when it returned to the daycare. Staff members reportedly discovered her unresponsive later that afternoon. She was transported to a hospital, where she died.
Her father, Bryan Jones, said Winter’s internal body temperature reached 109 degrees. Outdoor temperatures in Memphis climbed to approximately 97 degrees that day. Winter was autistic and nonverbal. Her family remembered her as a child who enjoyed singing, dancing, swimming, and stuffed animals.
A Tennessee Department of Human Services inspection reportedly found that required vehicle checks were not completed, transportation records were inaccurate, and staff failed to perform mandatory walk-throughs after children exited.
Memphis police and state agencies investigated. Authorities also contacted Memphis-Shelby County Schools to determine why Winter’s absence was not reported when she failed to arrive at school.