On Tuesday, September 12, Kristen Graham, a 40-year-old babysitter, was arrested in Virginia in relation to the death of an 11-month-old girl named Myrical.
York-Poquoson Sheriff, Ron Montgomery, informed the public that Graham is facing charges, which include felony child neglect and misdemeanor animal cruelty.
Paul Kudlaty, aged 80, was the first to alert the authorities. He went to a Newport News hospital, stating that there was a deceased child in his car. This was sadly confirmed when the hospital staff found the baby’s body in a black garbage bag within the vehicle.
Myrical was under the care of Graham, who regularly babysat for her. The baby girl was the daughter of 17-year-old Arianna Wicker.
Details revealed that on that day, a friend from Newport News reached out to Graham around 1 am. This friend, who was taking care of an elderly person, requested cigarettes. After making a purchase at 7-Eleven with the baby and a dog in her car, Graham visited this friend and ended up staying overnight. She returned to her home by 8 am, went into the house and went to sleep. Waking up in the early afternoon, she made the harrowing discovery: both the child and the dog were unresponsive in her car. The day’s temperature in Seaford was recorded to be as high as 88 degrees.
What followed is still being investigated, as the child’s body was placed in a garbage bag. Kudlaty then undertook the task of bringing the child to Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital. He is currently not facing any charges in relation to these events.
An inspection of Graham’s home unveiled a grim find: a deceased dog in her bathtub. Graham informed the authorities that she had taken the prescription drug Gabapentin, a medication used for seizures and pain, before driving to Newport News.
To assist with funeral expenses, Frances Spires, the baby’s maternal grandmother, has set up a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of Arianna Wicker.