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Superintendent Colonel Melissa Zebley


*UPDATE #2* Daycare Worker Charged with Murder of Infant- Bear


Date Posted: Monday, July 13th, 2020

Bear– On Monday, July 13, 2020, 20-year-old Dejoynay Ferguson of New Castle was Indicted by a New Castle County Grand Jury in the New Castle County Court House, Wilmington, with updated charges.

On Thursday, September 5, 2019, at approximately 10:35 a.m., Troopers and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded to the Little People Child Development Center, located at 3843 Wrangle Hill Road, for an unresponsive 4-month-old. The female infant was transported by ambulance to Christiana Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.

The investigation, conducted by the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit, determined Ferguson was the assigned caregiver for the female victim in the Infant Room at the facility, placed her hands over the victim’s mouth and nose, and intentionally restricted her breathing until she became unresponsive. Once becoming unresponsive, the victim was put back into a crib by Ferguson. After approximately 20 minutes, Ferguson advised the owner of the daycare facility the victim was unresponsive, at which time 911 was called.

Included in the Indictment today was a single count of Murder by Abuse or Neglect, which replaced the original charge of Murder 1st Degree and forty-two counts of Child Abuse 1st Degree against the deceased victim.  The time frame of the child abuse charges included in the presented Indictment ranged from July 16, 2019, thru September 5, 2019.

After the initial incident, the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit, identified four additional child victims, ranging in age from one month through fifteen months of age.  Seven additional counts of Child Abuse 1st Degree and three counts of Child Abuse 2nd are associated with the four additional identified victims.

Dejoynay Ferguson remains in the custody of Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution.

*UPDATE* Daycare Worker Charged with Murder of Infant – Bear

Delaware State Police Conducting Death Investigation – Bear

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll free hotline 1800 VICTIM-1. (1800 842-8461).  You may also email the unit Director at debra.reed@state.de.us.

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Presented by Public Information Officer, Senior Corporal Heather Pepper

Released: 071320 1839

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