Nationwide — Tynisha Lashae Jones, a 34-year-old African American mother from Anderson, South Carolina, has been charged after her 10-month-old daughter, Talayah Lucille Donaldson, died from drug toxicity. Investigators said laboratory testing found a high level of morphine in the baby’s blood, while the coroner determined that morphine and hydromorphone contributed to her death. Authorities ruled the death a homicide.
The investigation began on Dec. 12, 2025, after emergency crews responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive baby on Howland Drive. The call came in around 11:44 a.m., and responders treated Talayah at the scene before taking her to AnMed Medical Center. Despite the efforts to save her, the infant died at the hospital, as reported by Fox Carolina.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office then opened an investigation into the baby’s death. Detectives interviewed Jones as part of the case and obtained a search warrant for the family’s home. Investigators also collected specimens and sent them to a laboratory for testing. At that point, officials had not released a clear explanation for what caused the infant to become unresponsive.
The case remained under investigation for several months while authorities waited for the laboratory results and reviewed medical records. Those results eventually showed a high level of morphine in Talayah’s blood. The coroner’s office listed her cause of death as combined drug toxicity involving morphine and hydromorphone. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.
After reviewing the laboratory findings, medical records, and other evidence gathered during the investigation, deputies said they determined that Jones was responsible for giving the drugs to her daughter. The sheriff’s office then charged her with murder/homicide by child abuse on Friday. The charge alleges that the child’s death resulted from the administration of drugs, although authorities have not released additional details about how the drugs were given.
Jones now remains in the Anderson County Detention Center after a judge denied her bond. Authorities have not publicly provided further information about the evidence against her, the circumstances surrounding the alleged drug administration, or what may have happened inside the home before the emergency call. The investigation and court proceedings are expected to provide more details as the case develops.