Nationwide — Winter Jones, a 6-year-old Memphis girl, died after she was left inside a daycare van for hours, and three people connected to the facility have now been indicted in her death. 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.
The three defendants held different roles at Kid University, where Winter was enrolled. Norry was the van driver, Powe was the daycare’s assistant director, and Hardin worked as an assistant. Their indictments came after authorities investigated the circumstances surrounding Winter’s death and examined how the daycare handled the transportation of children, according to WLBT.
The case began on the morning of Aug. 13, when Winter was dropped off at Kid University and was expected to be taken to Macon Hall Elementary School. The daycare van arrived at the school, but Winter apparently remained inside. The vehicle later returned to Kid University with the child still in it. Hours later, staff found her unresponsive inside the van.
Winter was taken to a hospital but later died. Her father, Bryan Jones, previously said her internal body temperature reached 109 degrees. Memphis temperatures reached about 97 degrees that day. Winter was nonverbal and autistic, and her family has said she loved singing, dancing, swimming, and playing with stuffed animals.
The investigation also uncovered problems with the daycare’s transportation procedures. The Tennessee Department of Human Services found that required vehicle inspections were not completed after children were unloaded. Inspectors also said the transportation log was not properly completed and that staff failed to conduct required walk-throughs to make sure every child had gotten off the vehicle. Those findings became part of the broader investigation into Winter’s death.
Memphis police, the Tennessee Department of Human Services and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services have investigated the case. Officials also contacted Memphis-Shelby County Schools about why Winter’s absence was not reported when she failed to arrive at Macon Hall Elementary. The investigation remains tied to questions about how the 6-year-old was left inside the van and why she was not discovered until later that afternoon.