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The child, a 2-month-old girl, was pronounced dead at Hershey Medical Center after emergency responders performed CPR. Authorities allege the baby’s mother, 25-year-old Jenna Beachley, was intoxicated when she co-slept with the child, resulting in her death.
Court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Nov. 26, detail the moments leading to the tragedy. Beachley reportedly left her daughter in the care of her mother while she went drinking at a local bar with a friend. She returned home around 2 a.m., breastfed the baby, and fell asleep in the same bed, creating a "nest" of blankets around the child, as stated in the affidavit of probable cause.
When Beachley woke up hours later, the infant was unresponsive. She called 911 and performed CPR. A subsequent urine test revealed Beachley was positive for alcohol, and an investigation found her blood alcohol content (BAC) was likely above 0.08% at the time, despite a later test showing 0.033%, police explained in the affidavit.
Investigators believe Beachley either rolled onto her child or slept too closely, causing fatal injuries, including brain swelling and rib impressions noted during the autopsy.
Beachley was charged with felonies for involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child. She was arraigned before Judge David Judy and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.
The investigation involved the Dauphin County Child Abuse Response Team and the District Attorney’s Office.
Her preliminary hearing is set before the judge at 2:30 p.m. on Wedesday, Dec. 11, according to her court docket.
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