When 1-year-old Kemari Morgan died while in foster care in late May 2025, his biological mother begged for answers. Briauna Morgan contacted Person County Social Services in North Carolina, asking for the cause of death, but no one would answer her questions. Loved ones launched a fundraiser for Morgan, hoping to help her find out what happened to Kemari. At the time, she had two other children in foster care, one living in the same home as her deceased son. On December 16, she got her answer when police arrested Latisha Annette Linzsey.
According to the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation, Kemari was found unresponsive in his crib on May 24. At the time, he lived with Linzsey as part of a foster care arrangement. The Person County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into Kemari’s death and made a shocking discovery. “A subsequent toxicology report determined Morgan died as a result of receiving a fatal dosage of multiple medications,” the bureau reported.
The Person County Sheriff’s Office asked the bureau to aid in the investigation. After several weeks, authorities decided to present Kemari’s case to a grand jury. The grand jury moved to indict Linzsey on murder charges. Police arrested her and placed her in the Person County Detention Center on a $300,000 bond.
The news came as a relief to Morgan, who shared her thoughts with WTVD. “I really can’t explain the feelings because my emotions has been up and down because justice is finally being served,” she said. “It’s just insane to me. You can be a foster mother for so many years. You should know the amounts to give a 1-year-old.”
Morgan previously expressed her heartache in a somber quote on a GoFundMe page.
“I still can’t believe this is real. I keep hearing Kemari’s little voice saying ‘juice, juice’. If Kemari had been home with me, I could have protected him, I could have kept him safe. Person County stole him from me, and now I’ll never be able to hold him again,” the mother shared.
If convicted of murder in North Carolina, Linzsey faces a long prison term. It’s unclear what happened to the other children in her care.
Nothing will bring Kemari back, but hopefully knowing his cause of death will give his family a bit of closure during this awful time.
