A woman from Roanoke has been taken into custody on charges of homicide following the death of her infant son earlier this year. Lindsey Renee Burnette, 37, is facing a serious charge of felony murder.
In February, local authorities were called to a residence on the 600 block of Hanover Ave NW after receiving a report of an unconscious baby. Upon arrival, the officers discovered the lifeless body of 2-month-old Aka-rri Burnette-Coleman.
Burnette, the mother of the deceased infant, informed the officers that she had been sharing a bed with the baby. She claimed to have found him unconscious when she woke up. The police investigation concluded that Burnette had unintentionally rolled onto her son while they were asleep.
In a subsequent autopsy conducted in May, the medical examiner determined the cause of death to be suffocation coupled with acute methamphetamine toxicity. The presence of methamphetamine in the infant’s system raised further questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Earlier this month, a grand jury indicted Burnette on charges of felony homicide, child abuse/neglect resulting in serious injury, and child cruelty. The severity of these charges reflects the tragic circumstances of the infant’s death.
Burnette was officially arrested on these charges on September 3. The case serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of co-sleeping with infants, particularly under the influence of substances, and the serious legal consequences that can follow.