WV - Baby dies after parents rub alcohol on her gums - GASSAWAY, April 2025

[Clearsky]

4-month-old Braxton County baby dies after parents rubbed alcohol on her gums, police say

Two Braxton County parents were arrested last week after a 9-month-old baby died with alcohol in her system.

www.wdtv.com

James Joseph Smith, 34, and Angel Talbert, 23, both of Gassaway, have each been charged with first-degree murder, child neglect resulting in death and conspiracy, according to the Braxton County Sheriff’s Department.

 

[nao]

Moo....why would it be 1st degree murder? Seems more like poverty and lack of parenting knowledge....moo

 

[slowpoke]

The poor baby! Intentional, or ignorance? I heard it was an old folk remedy to rub a baby’s gums with whiskey when teething.I wonder if some old timer gave them that awful suggestion. Definitely not recommend today, of course.

 

[DS2021]

The poor baby! Intentional, or ignorance? I heard it was an old folk remedy to rub a baby’s gums with whiskey when teething.I wonder if some old timer gave them that awful suggestion. Definitely not recommend today, of course.

There's enough articles specifically informing people not to, to make me think it's still being spread

 

[DS2021]

During the initial interview with the couple in November, Smith told deputies that Talbert woke up to use the restroom between 4 and 5 a.m. and told him to check on the baby. He said that the infant child was not breathing and that she was face down, court documents say.

Smith said Talbert immediately called 911, and he started to perform CPR. They eventually loaded the baby into their vehicle and were traveling to the hospital when they met the ambulance at the bottom of the driveway, court documents say.

At approximately 5:15 a.m., the baby was put into the ambulance, and at approximately 5:32 a.m., the baby was pronounced dead, deputies said.

While deputies were at the couple’s home, they said there were roaches crawling in multiple places throughout the home and that there was no running water in the kitchen or bathroom

4-month-old Braxton County baby dies after parents rubbed alcohol on her gums, police say

Two Braxton County parents were arrested last week after a 9-month-old baby died with alcohol in her system.

www.wdtv.com

James Joseph Smith, 34, and Angel Talbert, 23, both of Gassaway, have each been charged with first-degree murder, child neglect resulting in death and conspiracy, according to the Braxton County Sheriff’s Department.

 

[nao]

The poor baby! Intentional, or ignorance? I heard it was an old folk remedy to rub a baby’s gums with whiskey when teething.I wonder if some old timer gave them that awful suggestion. Definitely not recommend today, of course.

Moo...it is the way it used to be done. Most parenting is usually generational knowledge...for better or worse. My grandparents had a beautiful special little glass, that they filled with sweet sherry and gave to me every nite before bed.

 

[Lgreen]

I remember when I was younger, mothers would rub it on the babies gums when teething. To get that much in a baby, had to be more than putting it on their fingers to rub?

 

[DS2021]

Ohhhhhh

Braxton County couple charged after infant dies of alcohol poisoning on gums

Braxton County parents were charged after a report revealed that their infant daughter had a fatal amount of alcohol in her system when she died in November.

www.wboy.com

Deputies arrived at the hospital and met with the medical examiner to examine the infant’s body and noted the infant’s “face was discolored as if the baby had been face down,” deputies said

 

[nao]

I remember when I was younger, mothers would rub it on the babies gums when teething. To get that much in a baby, had to be more than putting it on their fingers to rub?

Moo...do you know what those babies blood alcohol level was though.? If the baby is still fussy, I would think then the parent would just repeat process.
If society wants to update parenting knowledge...then that must be done in school around age 13-14. A little sex education wouldn't hurt either. And the reality of mental and physical abuse in relationships.....never gonna happen though ..moo

 

[SMK777]

Moo....why would it be 1st degree murder? Seems more like poverty and lack of parenting knowledge....moo

Those were my first thoughts. I don't see how murder applies. These were obviously poor and ignorant parents and there's an element of tragedy there. They didn't have to do CPR and call 911: If they were evil they could have disposed of the body.

 

[SMK777]

Moo...it is the way it used to be done. Most parenting is usually generational knowledge...for better or worse. My grandparents had a beautiful special little glass, that they filled with sweet sherry and gave to me every nite before bed.

My grandmother rubbed whiskey on babies' (children, grandchildren) gums for teething and fussiness.

 

[tlcya]

The baby died on November 16th, and on April 10th, deputies received the medical examination results, which stated that the baby’s liver tissue was positive for ethanol with a reading of 3.210. A doctor told deputies that 3.210 would be fatal to an infant child, court documents say.
4-month-old baby dies after parents repeatedly rubbed alcohol on her gums, police say

I don't believe the alcohol was simply rubbed on this baby's gums. I have followed the case of China Record, who was a 4 year old that was forced to ingest half a bottle of whiskey as a punishment. Her BAC was .680.
LA - China Record, 4, Dies after forced to drink bottle of whiskey; grandmom, mom jailed, 21 Apr'22

I suspect these parents wanted their baby to settle down, go to sleep and stop annoying them. I don't believe this was some uninformed accident. JMO

 

[ChatteringBirds]

IMO there seem to be problems here that may reach the level of criminal, especially smoking THC in the home and regularly exposing their baby to alcohol.

 

[Twick]

Those were my first thoughts. I don't see how murder applies. These were obviously poor and ignorant parents and there's an element of tragedy there. They didn't have to do CPR and call 911: If they were evil they could have disposed of the body.

My grandmother advised that treatment to my mom when my brother was colicky.

I’m going to assume that it may work (or appear to work) much of the time, and they just kept repeating until they hit a toxic level. And I agree that this seems ignorance, not intentional harm.

 

[katydid23]

My grandmother rubbed whiskey on babies' (children, grandchildren) gums for teething and fussiness.

So did mine. And my Irish grandma had 10 kids and none died from that scotch whiskey on the gums trick. I think these parents must have over done that for the baby to die. Or maybe it was given in the bottle as well?

 

[TMich6811]

IMO this has nothing to do with rubbing alcohol on the baby’s gums. My opinion is that this is what they said to cover knowing there would be alcohol in the baby’s system.