Rhonda Jewell left 10-month-old Ariya Paige inside a vehicle for about five hours in 2023, leading to the child’s death. An appeals court has now ruled that the convictions against Jewell were unlawful and determined that the death was accidental.
BAKER COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida appeals court has overturned the criminal convictions of the babysitter held responsible for the death of a Baker County infant.
On Wednesday, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Rhonda Jewell, finding that her convictions for third-degree felony murder and leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle could not stand. Jewell had received a 17-year prison sentence for the offenses.
The victim, Ariya Paige of Macclenny, was 10 months old. In July 2023, Jewell was working as a nanny for two families. Court records say she picked up Ariya that morning and drove to a second residence, where she was expected to care for three other children. After arriving, Jewell went inside and left Ariya secured in her car seat for roughly five hours. The infant died from exposure to the heat.
The appeals court said prosecutors failed to meet the burden of proof required under the law. To establish that Jewell left a child unattended in a vehicle causing great bodily harm, the court said, the state had to prove that she acted knowingly. However, the trial judge instructed jurors that they did not need to find intent in order to convict Jewell.
Since the murder charge depended on a finding that Jewell knowingly left Ariya in the car, the appeals court overturned both convictions.
“This is the most tragic of cases. A beloved child has died, her family is left with an immeasurable loss, and it was Rhonda Jewell’s fault. But it was an accident,” the court wrote. “This case highlights how imperfect our criminal justice system is to adjudicate an accidental death. There are no winners here; moral outrage is not assuaged. And beneath the tragedy, the issues are legally important.”
Pamela Paige, Ariya’s grandmother, said the family was deeply disappointed by the ruling.
“We learned about the decision yesterday afternoon. Of course, it was disheartening. It was a huge disappointment because it wasn’t what we were praying for,” Paige said.
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Paige also rejected the idea that Jewell merely forgot Ariya was inside the vehicle.
“That is not what we believe. We believe that she initially meant to leave Ariya in the vehicle. She just forgot to go back,” Paige said.
Although the ruling overturned Jewell’s convictions, Paige said the family remains focused on accountability and continues to rely on its faith.
“We don’t hate Rhonda Jewell. There is forgiveness in our heart for her. It’s just that we want accountability because we don’t have our Ariya,” she said.
Paige said that faith has helped the family prepare for the next stage of the case.
“We have strong faith. We know that God is still in control of all of this, and justice will prevail,” Paige said.
The case will return to the trial court for a new trial on the charge of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle resulting in great bodily harm.
First Coast News contacted Jewell’s attorneys for comment on the appeals court’s decision. No response had been received by the time of publication.
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