Infant Found Dead With Drugs In System, Mother Charged With Child Neglect

A Virginia woman whose baby died last year is facing charges after methamphetamines were found in the child’s system.

The accused, identified as 24-year-old Lurissa Rynea Keyes, from Spotsylvania was charged recently with felony child neglect and felony child endangerment. She was being held in the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

Authorities said the baby died in June 2019. Reportedly, a deputy officer had responded to an emergency call about a three-month-old baby in distress. When he arrived at the scene the infant’s grandfather was trying to provide CPR to the child. However, the baby could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The mother told police that she had given the baby a bottle the night before and had woken up to find the baby face-down and unresponsive beside her. She was arrested in December after a toxicology report showed a low level of methamphetamines in the child’s body.

Prosecutor Amanda Sweeney said the baby did not have enough drugs in its system to be considered as lethal, however, it was enough to be a factor to file felony charges against Keyes.

Keyes had waived her right to a preliminary hearing scheduled last week in Spotsylvania Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Therefore, the charges filed against her will be considered by a county grand jury later this month.

Authorities mentioned that an autopsy report had failed to establish a definitive cause of death.