Investigators said repeated toxicology testing found morphine and hydromorphone in the 10-month-old girl’s system after her December 2025 death.
ANDERSON, S.C. — A South Carolina woman has been charged with murder and homicide by child abuse after investigators said her 10-month-old daughter died with toxic levels of drugs in her system, according to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and county coroner.
Tynisha Lashae Jones, 34, was arrested Friday in connection with the death of her daughter, Talayah Lucille Donaldson. Authorities said the investigation began Dec. 12, 2025, when emergency crews responded to a report of an unresponsive infant at a home on Howland Drive. Donaldson was taken to AnMed Medical Center, where she died. Jones remained at the Anderson County Detention Center after being denied bond, according to reports published Sept. 28.
Deputies said investigators interviewed Jones and later searched the residence as part of the investigation. Evidence was submitted to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for laboratory testing. Authorities said results received months later showed a high level of morphine in the child’s blood, prompting investigators to continue reviewing medical records and other evidence surrounding the death.
Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore said Donaldson’s cause of death was combined drug toxicity involving morphine and hydromorphone. The manner of death was classified as homicide. Because the toxicology findings were unexpected, Shore said his office sought additional testing before reaching its conclusion.
The samples were tested two additional times, and each test produced the same conclusion that the infant had a toxic amount of morphine in her system, according to Shore. He said the repeated testing was intended to ensure that the drugs detected in the child’s blood were genuinely connected to her death before officials proceeded with their findings.
After investigators reviewed the laboratory results, medical records and other evidence, the sheriff’s office alleged that Jones was responsible for administering morphine to her daughter. Authorities have not publicly explained what evidence led them to that conclusion beyond the records and material reviewed during the investigation. The charge is an allegation, and Jones has not been convicted of the crime.
Investigators also have not disclosed how the morphine allegedly entered the child’s system or why it may have been administered. Shore said those questions remained part of the criminal investigation and would be addressed through the continuing investigation and court process. Publicly available reports did not identify a suspected source of the medication.
The case took more than nine months to reach the charging stage. Detectives began their investigation immediately after Donaldson’s death in December, but toxicology testing and the subsequent review of medical evidence extended the inquiry into 2026. The sheriff’s office announced Jones’ arrest after authorities said the evidence review connected her to the alleged administration of the drug.
Shore said his office has stayed in contact with Donaldson’s family during the investigation. He described the death of a child as especially difficult for relatives, neighbors and emergency personnel involved in such cases. Authorities have released few additional details about the circumstances in the home before the infant became unresponsive.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains active. Jones remained in county custody after bond was denied, while the allegations against her move into the court process. No additional arrests had been publicly announced, and investigators had not released further information about a possible motive or how the drugs were obtained.
Author note: Last updated October 1, 2026.