North Carolina woman Myechia Avery arrested after her 5-month-old son Benjamin Avery was found dead
A Cary, North Carolina mother is facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse after her 5-month-old son was found dead inside her home in September.
Myechia Naomi Avery, 30, was arrested Saturday in connection to the death of her infant son, Benjamin Avery, who was found unresponsive inside Avery’s Cheswick Place apartment on September 18. He was taken to WakeMed Hospital where he later passed away.
Details emerged and a statement issued from the Cary Police Department, which explained that when police arrived, Benjamin Avery “unresponsive.”
During the interrogation, police learned that Avery had been out partying, drinking and using cocaine the night of the incident in question.
Detective Adam Dismukes noted in the warrant application that she told police she had returned home at 5:30 a.m. and moved the baby to a car seat on the floor next to her bed before going to sleep. When she awoke, the boy was under a plastic bag with clothes on top, and she could only see his legs. She asked a neighbor to call 911.
A 2-year-old sibling had been sleeping on the bed and was unharmed, police said.
An officer at the hospital overheard Avery on the phone confessing that a boyfriend was watching the children.
WRAL notes that “After her son’s death, Avery posted on Facebook denying she had anything to do with his death, saying ‘People are saying I did this to you purposely but no matter what happens my little bunchy, you know I would never hurt you.'” – there is a screenshot of that post here.
Myechia Avery was taken into custody just after 6 p.m. Saturday. The charges could result in eight years of jail time: child abuse, a Class E felony punishable up to 63 months in prison, and involuntary manslaughter, a Class F felony punishable up to 41 months in prison.
Avery was taken to the Wake County Detention Center, according to police.
“While we are relieved to bring this investigation to a close, Benjamin’s death is a tragedy,” Capt. Randall Rhyne of the Cary Police Department said in a news release. “We appreciate the efforts of those who were involved in investigating this case, and our thoughts are with the family during this sad and difficult time.”