MERCEDES MAYFIELD - 6 yo - / Charged: Cousin, Rachel Downer - Bemidji, MN

Minn. girl, 6, found apparently frozen to death outside apartment in subzero temperatures



The child's body was found inside the front entrance of a Bemidji apartment building at 6:23 a.m. where temperatures had reached 27 below zero, according to police. The girl's mother, whom she lived with at the complex, and a neighbor called 911 reportedly after spotting her.


NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Thursday, February 27, 2014, 9:53 PM



KXJB
Police in Bemidji, Minn., are seen investigating the death of a 6-year-old girl who apparently froze to death outside of her apartment building Thursday morning.

A six-year-old girl was found apparently frozen to death outside her Minnesota apartment where temperatures had reached 27 degrees below zero, police said Thursday.

The child's body was found inside the front entrance of a Bemidji apartment building at 6:23 a.m. after two 911 calls were placed by the girl's mother and a neighbor.


Officers described the first-grader as having obvious signs of exposure.

KXJB
The girl's mother, whom she lived with at the complex, and a neighbor called 911 reportedly after spotting her, said police.
"Early morning temperatures in the Bemidji area were -27 degrees with a wind chill of -40," police said in a release.



Authorities told KSPT that she was found wearing a coat, hat, gloves, boots, but certainly not enough clothes to protect her from the elements long term.

They said they are awaiting the results of a forensic examination and are withholding the girl's name pending notification of her entire family.

KXJB
Police said early morning temperatures in the Bemidji area were minus 27 with a wind chill of minus 40. A playground at the apartment complex is seen.


"As part of our investigation, we are developing a time line as to when the child was last seen and as to how long the child was exposed to the elements," said police.

Authorities described the girl as being a first-grader at Horace May Elementary in Bemidji. They say she lived at the complex with her mother.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/minn-girl-6-found-apparently-frozen-death-apartment-article-1.1704732#ixzz2w5rDyvxa

Cousin arrested after girl, 6, is found frozen to death outside Minnesota home



Mercedes Mayfield, 6, was found unconscious in an entrance to a Bemidji apartment building on Feb. 27. Her cousin, Rachel Downer, faces charges of second-degree manslaughter and felony neglect of a child.


NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Saturday, March 15, 2014, 8:51 AM



Rachel Downer via Facebook
Rachel Downer (left) was arrested in connection with the death of her 6-year-old cousin, who was found frozen outside her Minnesota home on Feb. 27.


Bemidji Police Deparment
Rachel Downer, 22

The cousin of a six-year-old girl who froze to death outside her home in temperatures of -30 degrees has been arrested in connection with her death.

Tiny Mercedes Mayfield was discovered unconscious in the entrance to an apartment building the morning of February 27 in Bemidji, Minnesota.



Windchill drove the temperature down to -40 degrees.

KSTP
It remains unclear how long Mercedes Mayfield, 6, was outside before dying from hypothermia.

Now cousin Rachel Downer, 22, has been arrested and is expected to be charged with second-degree manslaughter and felony neglect of a child, according to a Bemidji police statement.

Mercedes was discovered by her mother and a neighbor, who immediately called 911.

She was dressed in a coat, boots, hat and mittens. It is not clear how the first-grader got outside, but she may have been there overnight.

She died from hypothermia.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/cousin-arrested-girl-6-found-frozen-death-article-1.1722574#ixzz2w2R371v7

Revealed: How miscommunication and a mother's work injury left a six-year-old girl to freeze to death on the front steps while she was in her cousin's care
Mercedes Mayfield, 6, was found dead February 27 by her mother and a neighbor in the entrance to her apartment building
Six-year-old was dressed in a coat, hat and jacket; one of her boots and mittens were found lying on a staircase

Temperatures in Bemidji, Minnesota, dipped down to -19F overnight, with a wind chill of -32F
Girl's cousin, 22-year-old Rachel Downer, charged with second-degree manslaughter and felony child neglect

Downer told police she was planning to take Mercedes to her apartment, but then changed her mind without telling girl's mother
Downer said she drove off after watching Mercedes return to the building
Malika Peoples, Mercedes' mother, turned in early after taking painkillers for her work-related injury

By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 09:47 EST, 18 March 2014  

A Minnesota woman had promised her aunt to watch her 6-year-old daughter while the woman was recovering from an injury, but instead she took off, leaving the girl to freeze to death outside, according to newly released charging documents.

Rachel Stacey Downer appeared in court in Beltrami County on a second-degree manslaughter charge and was released on $100,000 bond. she could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Downer's cousin, 6-year-old Mercedes Mayfield, was found curled up on the front step of a Bemidji apartment building early February 27.


Break in the case: Rachel Downer, 22 (left), was arrested and charged with manslaughter in the death of her 6-year-old cousin Mercedes Mayfield (right) last month


Tragic end: The little girl, pictured here with her cousin, was found frozen to death outside an apartment building in Minnesota

The child's mother, Malika Peoples, called 911 at around 6.30am to report her daughter was stiff, frozen and unresponsive.

The girl was dressed in a winter coat and hat, with a boot on her left foot. Her right boot and her mittens were found on an outside step.

Temperatures that night dipped down to 19 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of 32 below, the criminal complaint cited by Minneapolis Star Tribune said.

The last time Mercedes was seen alive was the evening before. Downer was going to take her cousin to her apartment to baby-sit her that night, but changed her mind and didn't tell Mercedes' mother, according to the complaint.

Mercedes helped Downer carry her things to her car. Downer said she watched the girl enter the building, then got in her car and drove off.

Miss Downer told police Mercedes had shut the apartment's safety door gently, so it would not lock her out.

It has not been revealed how many hours the first-grader spent outdoors from the time Downer took off and until she was found lying unconscious.


Misunderstanding: Downer was supposed to take her cousin to her apartment, but at the last minute changed her mind without telling the girl's mother


Left to die: Downer told police Mercedes helped carry her things to her car, and the 22-year-old then watched the enter the building before driving off

According to the complaint, Downer was supposed to be watching Mercedes and a 3-year-old sibling, as well as Downer's own 2-year-old son, while Peoples was at work.

Peoples told police that she hurt her arm at work and took pain medication to help her sleep while Downer watched the children.

The family ate dinner together, then Peoples turned in early. When she was awakened by her alarm clock at 6am, neither Downer nor Mercedes were in the apartment.

‘Ms. Peoples said that she then called Downer and asked her why she had taken Mercedes home with her when she knew Mercedes had school,’ the complaint said. ‘Ms. Peoples said that she then looked out her front window and saw her daughter lying on the front step.

‘She then went outside and pulled her into the entryway and called 911.’

Rescue workers tried to revive Mercedes, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The Ramsey County medical examiner's office reported that she died from hypothermia due to exposure to the freezing cold.

Downer is due back in court March 24. She has been barred from making contact with the victim’s family.

Following her release from jail, the 22-year-old suspect briefly addressed the incident in an interview with KAAL-TV.

‘I'm hurt right now. I'm going through a tough time right now, it's like my whole life has been taken away from me because of this,’ she said.

Frozen: Emergency services arrive at the scene of the tragedy where a six-year-old girl froze to death outside on her front steps


Tragedy: The doorway where Mercedes was found unconscious and exposed to the elements by her mother and a neighbor late last month


Online tributes: On the day of Mercedes' death, Downer uploaded more than a half-dozen collages depicting her late 6-year-old cousin


Family torn apart: Mercedes is said to have two younger siblings, a brother and sister

On the day of Mercedes' death, the 22-year-old woman took to Facebook, posting more than a half-dozen collages depicting little Mercedes, accompanied by the status update: 'R I.P Gone but never forgotten.'  

The 6-year-old had just enrolled in first grade at Horace May Elementary within the past few days, having transferred from J.W. Smith Elementary, where she attended kindergarten and part of this school year.

Bemidji is also only about 115 miles south of International Falls, Minnesota, a Canadian border town known as the ‘icebox of the nation’ because it often has the coldest temperatures in the lower 48 states.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2583516/Mercedes-Mayfair-death-Heartbreaking-details-miscommunication-mother-s-work-injury-left-six-year-old-girl-freeze-death-steps-cousin-s-care.html

Horrible death for a child.  Another preventable death.   Poor little angel.  She was a gorgeous little girl. William