On Friday, Florida police arrested a man for killing his 2-month-old daughter in 2021.
Joseph Napier allegedly claimed he found Iris Noelle unresponsive and turning blue after leaving her alone with his 18-month-old daughter for 10 minutes. Napier claimed Noelle choked and that he could see a small white item in her throat — but Indian River County police now say Napier killed her by shoving a baby wipe down her throat, according to WPTV.
Police initially believed Napier waited five minutes before calling 911 for the choking infant. Upon further investigation, they determined he was actually on his cell phone in another room for 30 minutes.
Cops believe Napier put the wipe down Noelle’s throat because she would not stop crying due to colic, WPTV reported.
“Our forensic team has determined that his claims that the 18-month-old child placed a wipe down the throat of this 2-month-old infant, we’ve proven that that’s not possible,” Sheriff Eric Flowers said.
“He put that wipe in that child’s mouth. He pushed it down far enough that this child choked. It took doctors going deep into this child’s throat with forceps [to get it out].”
Treasure Coast Newspapers reported that investigators determined the 18-month-old’s hand could not fit in Noelle’s mouth past her knuckles. The wipe was reportedly 8 inches long and 4 inches wide.
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Flowers explained that Napier is charged with manslaughter — not murder — because they could not conclude whether he intended to kill his daughter or wanted her to stop crying.
According to WHAM, Indian County police said Noelle’s mother will likely be arrested in connection with his daughter’s death.
Flowers’ bond was set at $750,000. He is due in court on October 19.
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[Featured image: Joseph Napier/Indian River County Sheriff’s Office; Iris Noelle/Facebook]
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