Inset: Stephanie Kay Johnson (Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area in North Carolina where Johnson allegedly killed a 21‑month‑old girl (Google Maps).
Authorities say a 37‑year‑old woman from North Carolina faces murder charges after her 21‑month‑old great‑niece died from blunt‑force trauma.
The Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office released a statement noting that the investigation kicked off on April 30, when deputies and EMTs rushed to a home on the 5900 block of Bob’s Lake Road in Hamptonville following a reported medical emergency involving the toddler.
First responders performed CPR at the scene and then transported the child to a nearby hospital, according to the Yadkin Ripple.
While the toddler received treatment, detectives with the sheriff’s office uncovered evidence of earlier non‑accidental trauma, WXII reported, and the child later succumbed to her injuries.
An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt‑force trauma.
An arrest warrant issued on Oct. 8 adds detail to the accusations. Prosecutors allege that Johnson killed the child with “malice aforethought,” a legal term indicating intent to kill or a reckless disregard for life. A second count accuses her of intentionally inflicting the serious bodily injury that led to the toddler’s death.
“At the time the defendant inflicted the injury the defendant was providing care for the child as great aunt,” the warrant states.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation assisted the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigative Division, while the county Department of Social Services opened its own investigation into Johnson after the great‑niece’s death, WXII reported.
Earlier, WXII spoke with the victim’s grandfather, who remembered the toddler as a happy, love‑filled child and said the family intended to hold a memorial service.
Johnson was taken into custody without incident and remains in the Yadkin County Jail without bond.
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