A mother and father in West Virginia were arrested after they allegedly killed their 4-month-old baby by rubbing an excessive amount of alcohol on the child's gums.
According to the Braxton County Sheriff's Department, Angel Talbert and James Smith are facing charges for murder, child neglect resulting in death, and conspiracy.
WSAZ reports that deputies learned of the child's death in November 2024.
Deputies met with the parents to probe the death. Smith reportedly told investigators that the child's mother, Talbert, woke him up early on the morning of the incident and asked him to check on the baby.
He said that when he went to check on the child, the baby wasn't breathing and was lying face down. Smith said he called for Talbert to call 911 while he began CPR.
According to a police complaint, the parents and the unresponsive child traveled to Braxton County Memorial Hospital. The baby was loaded into an ambulance at the hospital and EMS workers began treating the child.
The 4-month-old died at the hospital.
Talbert and Smith told deputies that their child had not been sick and did not have any ongoing health conditions.
Deputies wrote in the complaint that the couple's home was in poor condition and that they witnessed cockroaches skittering about during their visit. Investigators also found there was no running water in the kitchen or bathroom.
On April 10, 2025, the medical examiner's office reported that ethanol was found in the child's blood, with a reading 3.21. The medical examiner's office said that level of alcohol contamination would be deadly for the child.
Four days later, police returned to speak to the parents. Talbert and Smith reportedly said they had no idea how alcohol would have wound up in the child's system.
Deputies spoke with the parents a few days after the April 14 meeting, during which time Talbert allegedly told investigators that Smith would rub alcohol on the baby's gums and around her mouth. Smith allegedly used the method to help calm the child when it became fussy or irritable.
When deputies spoke to Smith about using alcohol to pacify the child, he allegedly told them that both he and Talbert used the method and had done so nearly every day for a month up until the child's death.
While rubbing alcohol on babies’ gums to pacify them is an oft-repeated bit of folk wisdom, modern healthcare providers warn that engaging in the practice can poison and potentially kill a child.
“Parents should never apply alcohol to the gums as it can be poisonous to young bodies which are not developed enough to safely handle alcohol,” according to the Miami Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry.
The couple are being held in jail without bond.
