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A grandmother in Louisiana, Roxanne Record, is currently on trial for first-degree murder, as prosecutors argue that she forced her young granddaughter to consume a deadly amount of whiskey as a form of punishment. The tragic incident has brought her to the courtroom, where she faces the grim allegations surrounding the death of four-year-old China Record.
In a somber courtroom scene, Record, aged 57, listened as prosecutors recounted the heartbreaking last moments of China’s life in April 2022. The prosecution alleges that the little girl was coerced into kneeling and drinking an entire bottle of Canadian Mist whiskey, while her mother, Kadjah Record, reportedly stood by without intervening.
Assistant District Attorney Dana Cummings, in her opening remarks, painted a picture of the relationship that typically exists between grandparents and their grandchildren. She emphasized that, unfortunately, this was not the reality for China. “China never had that because her grandmother never, ever took to her, never liked her, treated her differently than she treated the other children,” Cummings stated, according to reports by The Advocate.
Following the devastating events of that April, Roxanne Record was arrested, marking a shocking turn of events that has since led to her trial. The case, with its deeply troubling allegations, continues to unfold in the Baton Rouge courtroom, as the community grapples with the unsettling details surrounding China’s untimely death.
Roxanne Record, 57, was arrested in April 2022 following the death of her granddaughter China. (Baton Rouge Police Department)
Prosecutors alleged a “pattern of cruelty” inside the Baton Rouge home, saying China was so marginalized that her siblings were conditioned to believe the 4-year-old was “stealing” when she tried to access basic necessities like food and water.
Prosecutors said the punishment began when China took a single sip from a whiskey bottle left on a kitchen counter.
They allege Roxanne Record then forced the child to consume the rest of the 750ml bottle — approximately 1.6 pints of 80-proof liquor.
Kadjah Record, Roxanne’s daughter, is also charged with murder after watching Roxanne punish her toddler without intervening. (Baton Rouge Police Department)
First responders found the child unresponsive at the family’s Wallis Street home. An autopsy later revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.680 — more than eight times the legal limit for an adult driver.
The Baton Rouge Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“She… just went on with daily life while she died,” Cummings told the jury.
The toddler was unresponsive when police officers first arrived on the scene and was pronounced dead two hours later. (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, defense attorney Caitlin Fowlkes countered that while China’s death was a “tragedy that nobody should have to endure,” it was also an accident.
She argued Record attempted to save the girl with CPR and said the state cannot prove the “specific intent” required for a first-degree murder conviction.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Roxanne Record faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The child’s mother, Kadjah Record, is also charged with murder and is expected to stand trial later this summer.