STARKE, FL – On August 26, 2020, Officers of the Starke Police Department responded to 801 South Water Street, Orangewood Apartments, in reference to an unresponsive 3-year-old female. Upon arrival Officers found the child to be without a pulse and immediately began lifesaving efforts until relieved by the Starke Fire Department and Bradford County Fire Rescue. Lifesaving efforts continued while the child was transported to North Florida Starke Emergency Room where she was subsequently pronounced deceased.
Detectives from the Starke Police Department responded to the scene and began a suspicious death investigation. Detectives did not note any obvious cause of death and the child was transported to the District 8 Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy to be performed.
On December 3, 2020 the autopsy results were obtained from the District 8 Medical Examiner’s Office and the toxicology report indicated the child died from an
overdose of a high quantity of Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a very powerful narcotic that has been responsible for many deaths throughout the country. Through the collection of evidence and interviewing witnesses it was determined that at the time the child ingested the Fentanyl the only persons present with her were the mother and father.
Warrants were obtained for D’Lana A. King (Mother) and J’Shawn D Murrah (Father). Both were charged with Aggravated Child Neglect Causing Great Bodily Injury.
On December 4, 2020 D’Lana King was arrested by Officers of the Starke Police Department and booked into the Bradford County Jail where she is being held on a $1,000,000 bond.
On the same date Deputies of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Warrants Unit arrested J’Shawn Murrah at a residence in Gainesville. J’Shawn Murrah was booked into the Alachua County Jail where he is being held on a $1,000,000 bond as well pending extradition back to Bradford County.