Background: The home in Jacksonville, N.C., where a 16-month-old baby was found dead in December 2025 (Google Maps). Inset: Elizabeth Holderness (Onslow County Sheriff's Office).
A North Carolina woman turned herself in to police after her toddler was found dead on her home's front porch.
Elizabeth Holderness, 30, made her first court appearance on Monday after surrendering to the Onslow County Sheriff's Office earlier in the day. Holderness is charged with involuntary manslaughter and child neglect in connection with the death of her 16-month-old son, Zayden. According to reporting by local CBS affiliate WNCT, police started investigating Holderness after Zayden was found dead on Dec. 11, 2025.
Sheriff's deputies said that they responded to the home after receiving a report of a missing child. When deputies arrived at the home, they quickly found Zayden. Police said the little boy was submerged in water in a container on the home's front porch.
First responders provided lifesaving measures before transporting Zayden to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to a warrant reviewed by Law&Crime, police said that with regard to the child neglect charges, Holderness was "ingesting an illegal substance in a separate room for an extended period of time." She allegedly left the toddler unattended, during which time he ended up submerged in water. Police did not provide further details about the circumstances in the home, including other family members or children, or about who reported Zayden missing.
During her first court appearance on Monday, a judge set Holderness' bond at $75,000. She was charged with involuntary manslaughter, child neglect or abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, and six misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. Her next court date is scheduled for Jan. 15.
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