Halo Branton was just 11 months old when prosecutors say her mother, 24-year-old Persia Nelson, left her to die in Schenectady, New York. The mother allegedly posted on Facebook that she was drunk just hours before searchers found Halo dying in a utility tunnel in a shed on the General Electric campus. The mother was arrested and charged with murder.
Now, her boyfriend's family is speaking out. His relatives told WRGB they had no idea Nelson would hurt her daughter and have been inconsolable since they heard the news of Halo's tragic death.
More from CafeMom: Oklahoma Dad Allegedly Crashed Car & Fled the Scene, Leaving Teenage Daughter To Die
Everything appeared to be fine the night Halo disappeared.
The family of Nelson's boyfriend, Dante Gregory, said she and Halo were at their home the night the baby went missing, and Nelson seemed OK. The mother reportedly had a conversation with Dante Gregory, but it didn't appear to be an argument.
"I seen her walk into the bathroom, and that was the last time I seen Persia that night," Issac Gregory, Dante's brother, told WRGB.
His mother, Allegra Gregory, agreed, saying, "I seen her come out of the bathroom. She walked around me and walked out the door with the baby."
Nelson posted on Facebook that she'd been drinking.
Per a Facebook post, Nelson was intoxicated. She wrote, "I'm drunk asf don't play with me right now lmfaooo."
In the days following the discovery of Halo, comments on the post have condemned Nelson's behavior.
"How do you people defend this woman?? Thinking you're cute posting I'm drunk af hehe yet you leave your baby outside in the cold?!" one person wrote. "Wtf is wrong with you girl?! I hope this weighs heavy on your conscience for the rest of your life. Disgusting. May that poor baby rest in peace, not fair at all."
Many others agreed, such as this commenter.
"I get every Mother deserves to have a good time they deserve a break. But when your a mother you find a babysitter. You don't get blacked out drunk in front of your kids. Especially with an 11 month old," the person wrote. "The only one to blame is the Mother. An 11 month old child just doesn't go missing & mysterial found in a shed. Makes a lot of sense. Then the Mother is DRUNK. Just think. Y'all can jump down my throat IDC."
His family claims Dante Gregory had nothing to do with Nelson's actions.
They told WRGB that Nelson left on her own accord and Dante Gregory had nothing to do with it.
"The moment he heard the baby was missing, he was inconsolable. Him, my Mother, myself, we were out looking for the baby," Issac said.
He added that his brother loved Halo and would never hurt her. "The DA was here earlier to pressure us to testify to a grand jury," he said. "I personally don't believe my brother can handle that right now. He may be suicidal. He loved that baby."
The family was the last to see Halo alive.
Schenectady County District Attorney Bob Carney told WRGB they needed testimony from the family because they were the last people to see Halo alive. He added that authorities are not trying to arrest anyone but that if family members are subpoenaed and do not appear in court, they could be charged with contempt.
The Gregory family told WRGB that the night Halo went missing, there was just a social gathering at the house, not a party.
More from CafeMom: A Texas Mom Killed Her Baby Then Made a GoFundMe To Raise Money for His Funeral
Nelson faces murder charges.
After an autopsy revealed Halo died from hypothermia, the baby's mother was charged with second-degree murder. She is in jail on a $1 million bond with a $500,000 cash bail. No one else has been charged in connection with Halo's death.
