PA Woman Allegedly Murdered Boyfriend’s 18-Month-Old Daughter by Poisoning Her

In a heart-wrenching case, the death of 18-month-old Iris Alfera in New Castle, Pennsylvania is shrouded in allegations of deliberate poisoning, leading to criminal charges against Aleisia Owens. As the details unfold, the case reveals a disturbing sequence of events that paint a grim picture of Owens’ actions and the devastating impact on Iris and her grieving family.

Listen to my reaction to this case:

On June 25, 2023, Iris was found unresponsive at the New Castle home of her father, Bailey Jacoby, where Owens also resided. Rushed to the hospital, Iris succumbed to organ failure four days later. The autopsy revealed fatal levels of acetone in her blood, a substance commonly found in nail polish remover.

“Medical experts who examined the baby’s body concluded that the child was exposed to acetone just before her hospitalization.”

Aleisia Owens, 20, had been living with Iris’ father for about a year. Bailey Jacoby, the father, left Iris with Aleisia so that he could go to the store.

Iris lives with her mother, Emily Alfera and Emily’s parents; Bailey, has visitation rights.

After he went to the store, he got a distressing call from Owens about his daughter’s condition. He rushed home to find Iris unresponsive. Despite Owens’ initial claim that Iris had hit her head on the bed which caused her to get “cramped up” and fall off of the bed, the investigation pointed to a much darker truth.

Iris was rushed to the hospital in New Castle, PA, but because of her condition, an hour later she was airlifted to the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.

The Autopsy shows that the baby had 20 “water beads” in her stomach along with a metal screw and button-shapped batteries.

The investigation began.

It was found that leading up to the incident, Owens reportedly meticulously searched, on her cellphone, seeking information about household products harmful to children. Searches included terms like “beauty products that are poisonous to kids” and “medications leading to accidental poisoning deaths in children.” These findings were deemed crucial evidence against Owens, according to New Castle Police Chief Robert Salem.

Owens was arrested and now faces charges of criminal homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault of a child, and endangering the welfare of a child, as stated by Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle A. Henry.

“I am extremely proud of the officers, detectives, and agents who were involved in investigating this complex case and arresting the person who was responsible for the child’s death.”

Bail was denied to Owens and it’s not known if she has entered a plea or retained an attorney.

“The details of this case are heartbreaking,” the AG said. “It is hard to fathom someone taking deliberate steps to harm a completely helpless child, then mislead investigators about what happened. The investigation shows that, for months, the defendant conducted meticulous research on how certain substances harm children. She then allegedly acted on her findings.”

The Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office referred the case to the attorney general’s office for prosecution.

The impact of Iris’ murder has left her family devastated. Emily has been posting heartbreaking tributes on social media. Iris’ grandfather, Frank Alfera, expressed relief at Owens’ arrest but acknowledged the long road ahead in the court system.

“We’re happy that they’ve finally arrested her. That’s the first step. It will be a long process in the court system.”

Emily Alfera’s poignant words on Facebook capture the profound grief: “I have no words for what has currently happened to my beautiful baby; never in my life did I think I would be saying goodbye to the biggest light in my life.”

Police did not arrest Bailey in connection with his Iris’ death because

“at this time, there is no evidence at all linking him or anyone else to the baby’s death. There was nothing throughout the investigation to show that he had any knowledge or involvement about what happened to the baby. He was questioned multiple times and was cooperative.”

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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