Police have arrested a father in Florida accused of the unthinkable. Joseph Napier, 30, allegedly killed his 2-month-old daughter, Iris, by shoving a baby wipe down her throat. The father reportedly wanted to stop the child from crying and later blamed Iris’ toddler sister. The horrific crime occurred on May 28, 2021, but it took more than two years for police to make an arrest.
The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office announced Napier’s arrest on Monday with a detailed account of what allegedly happened in Napier’s home that fateful day. The child’s grandfather, Joe Miller, spoke to NBC News as he visited Iris’ grave. He believes the family will now get the closure they’ve yearned for.
The sheriff's office said it was a call they never wanted to receive.
Dispatchers received a call about an unresponsive 2-month-old baby at 1590 6th Avenue in Vero Beach, according to a Facebook post. Dispatchers gave the caller instructions on CPR and sent an EMS crew to help.
According to the sheriff’s office, when deputies arrived, they made contact with Napier and found the infant unresponsive and “turning blue.” Despite efforts to save Iris, she died.
Investigators said Napier attempted to create an alibi.
The sheriff’s office reported that Napier told police he left the infant unattended for about 10 minutes but in the same room as her 18-month-old sister. He told deputies when he returned to the room, his daughter was in distress, but he waited five minutes to call 911.
“Detectives later determined that Mr. Napier spent approximately 30 minutes on his cell phone making his timeline inaccurate,” the statement reads.
The baby wipe was deep inside Iris' throat.
Although Napier claimed he could only see a small piece of white in the baby’s throat, investigators determined that was not true. According to the sheriff’s office, “During an exam of the 2-month-old, a baby wipe was removed from deep within the infant’s throat. This is what caused the airway obstruction.”
Miller claimed Napier was upset before Iris' death.
The heartbroken grandfather said during a news conference that Napier was irate that day because Iris was crying. “Joe was screaming at the top of his lungs at the baby, ‘Why can’t you shut the f up,'” Miller recalled.
After examining the day’s timeline, investigators determined Napier was the only person with Iris at the time of her death, and he was the prime suspect.
Miller’s daughter, Kady Causey, the child’s mother, put together a GoFundMe page back in 2021 to help bury her daughter.
“Iris was declared deceased this morning in Orlando at Nemours. Her death was unexpected and she’s not even three months old,” a post on the site reads. ’d really like to have a funeral/memorial and have her buried in a local cemetery I can’t bear the thought of my baby being cremated. Please donate or share this I want to give her the best funeral i can.”
Causey was not charged in Iris’ death.
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Napier is in jail on a hefty bond.
The sheriff’s office noted that deputies arrested Napier, who is in Indian River County Jail. He faces charges of manslaughter, with a bond set at $750,000. Napier will have a hearing on October 19, and he does not appear to have an attorney, NBC News reported.
“While this investigation involved the tragic loss of life, we are hoping that this arrest can give some closure to the friends and family,” the sheriff’s department release on Facebook concludes.
