Man Severs Toddler's Spine After Her Mother Broke Up With Him
Keneci Channel
The suspect, 24-year-old Travis Ray Thompson was dating the toddler's mother in Florida, and was staying at his camper with her when her child's spine was snapped. She had apparently broken up with him a week before the child's death.
According to the woman, she had left her 2-year-old daughter in Thompson's care as she went to work on May 2, 2022. Thompson claims he and the little girl went to a nearby lake, returned to his camper, and she then sat on his futon as he went to the bathroom. He says he heard a loud sound and found the child limp, gurgling, and taking shallow breaths, with no idea how her spine was snapped.
The suspect then made several calls including to the girl's mom who made it back to the camper. Then the two drove the child to the AdventHealth Waterman hospital in Tavares, Florida and dialed 911 while en route.
Staff at the hospital immediately reported the injuries and circumstances as suspicious which prompted the investigation.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office reportedly said in a statement, "Based on the severity and nature of the break, it was determined that Thompson applied significant, gradual force to the victim’s upper and lower body from the front with a fulcrum point on her lower back."
The 2-year-old suffered a full "disarticulation of the lumbar spine" and suffered intense internal hemorrhaging.
The suspect is accused of murder in the first degree while engaged in aggravated child abuse for what he did to little girl on May 2. The injuries were so severe that he allegedly left this child's spine completely severed and then waited a full 30 minutes before driving her to the hospital, where she died three hours later.
Thompson is being held without bond in the Marion County jail.