Inset, top to bottom: Ashton M. Leeper and Derrick D. Carter (Henrico County Police). Background: The Motel 6 where the couple's newborn died in June 2026 (WRIC).
A 47-year-old father and 30-year-old mother in Virginia are accused of killing their 1-month-old daughter, who police said had "high amounts of cocaine in her system" and had not eaten for 12 hours when she died at a Motel 6 in June.
Derrick Dwayne Carter and Ashton Marie Leeper were charged with one count each of second-degree murder and child neglect. Christina Ann Snead, 53, was staying in the same motel room as the couple and is facing one count of accessory after the fact of murder.
According to a news release from the Henrico County Police Department, officers responded to a report of an unresponsive infant at a motel in the 5700 block of Williamsburg Road shortly after 1 p.m. on June 29. First responders arrived to find the infant unconscious and not breathing.
Emergency medical personnel transported the baby to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
According to a criminal complaint cited by Richmond, Virginia, CBS affiliate WTVR, Carter told investigators he fed the baby a 10-ounce bottle of formula mixed with a teaspoon of rice cereal at about 1 a.m. He said he then placed her on the edge of the bed next to a pillow, with Leeper on the other side of her. An air-conditioning unit set to 68 degrees was next to the bed.
Carter reportedly said he woke about 12 hours later and found the baby stiff and not breathing. Leeper called 911 at about 1:02 p.m., and emergency personnel arrived roughly seven minutes later.
The chief medical examiner's office determined the baby had been dead for about two hours by the time authorities arrived, Richmond ABC affiliate WRIC reported. The office also confirmed that the baby's cause of death was cocaine toxicity and ruled the manner of death a homicide.
Surveillance video showed Snead leaving the room shortly before police arrived and throwing a bag into a trash can, according to the complaint. Police later determined the bag contained drug paraphernalia belonging to Carter and Leeper.
The complaint alleges that Carter and Leeper acknowledged smoking crack cocaine in the motel room. Both submitted to urine screening through child protective services on the day of the baby's death, with initial tests returning non-negative results for cocaine and alcohol. A non-negative screening result indicates that a substance was detected but does not by itself constitute a confirmed positive result.
Leeper also reportedly told investigators that she had given the baby small amounts of applesauce the afternoon before her death and had been feeding her rice cereal in the days beforehand.
A doctor who reviewed the circumstances identified several factors as contributing to neglect during the month before the baby's death, including feeding the infant solid foods, placing her in bed with both parents near an air-conditioning unit set to 68 degrees, and drug use in the motel room.
The complaint also notes that the baby was born with a high amount of cocaine in her system.
Investigators later accused Carter of attempting to coordinate with Snead before she spoke with police. According to the complaint, Carter contacted Snead before her interview to make sure the account she told investigators matched what he and Leeper said.
Snead was released on bond and is currently under house arrest with a GPS monitor. Carter and Leeper have remained in detention since their initial arrests in July. All three are scheduled to appear in court next month.