12 March 2024 , 12:03
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The mother of a baby who died after being reported kidnapped has been charged with murder as it's revealed the 10-month-old died of hypothermia.
Persia Nelson, 24, is facing severe charges following the death of her daughter, Halo Branton. The heartbreaking case began when Branton was reported missing late Saturday night, sparking a frantic search effort in Schenectady, New York state.
Nelson had been initially prosecuted on Monday in Schenectady City Court for manslaughter in the second degree. An autopsy report released Tuesday indicated Halo's cause of death as exposure and hypothermia.
Following the release, the young mother was also charged with second-degree murder. The baby was found on Sunday in a 10-foot pipe within the city's General Electric campus and was transferred to Ellis Hospital.
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Halo Branton was discovered on the campus of General Electric
Schenectady baby Halo was just 11-months-old (Facebook)Despite efforts to save her life, the baby was tragically pronounced dead a few hours later. GE Security contacted the Schenectady County Unified Communications Centre at approximately 11.04pm on Saturday and reported a female trespasser, later identified as Nelson, who claimed to have lost her child.
Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney disclosed that Halo did not drown but succumbed to the elements, with water rising up to her chest but not covering her face. An amber alert for the baby was issued only to law enforcement and media at 10.10am on Sunday before being disseminated to the public an hour later.
The 24-year-old mum was charged with manslaughter and later with murderFor all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US
New York State Police acknowledged an error in the system but asserted that earlier dissemination wouldn't have altered the outcome. New York State Police Troop G Commander Dennis Schager said: "I've been advised that the New York alert system and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are examining the error and working on a solution right now."
A Schenectady Police SWAT team discovered Halo in the pipe at around 12.30pm Sunday. The baby was rushed to Ellis Hospital but was pronounced dead at 1.24pm.
Schenectady Police Chief Eric Clifford said: "Everybody's shaken by this. Everyone can relate to a year-old child being helpless." Nelson is detained in Schenectady County Jail on a bail set at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond.
Chilling final Facebook posts kidnapped Halo Branton's mum made before manslaughter arrestTwisted Facebook posts made by Nelson hours before her arrest, where she claimed to be "drunk asf" and "crazy", have surfaced online. Taking to the social media platform in the early hours of Sunday morning, Nelson wrote: "I’m drunk asf don’t play with me right now lmfaooo."
Responding to another post, the mum said: "Nah im literally crazy don’t play with it." She had earlier cruelly joked young Halo’s name was supposed to be "Crotch Goblin."