BERTIE COUNTY, N.C. — A mother will be charged with the murder of her 2-year-old daughter, who died in Dec. 2024, the Bertie County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
Rajasaffiyya Drain will be charged with murder and felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, according to the Bertie County Sheriff's Office. She is currently in custody in Wethersfield, Connecticut, where she was arrested in connection with a separate incident.
The information into this case was provided by Sheriff Tyrone M. Ruffin during a press conference held on Tuesday.
On Dec. 2, 2024, police responded to a home on Jack Branch and Windsor Road for a report of an unresponsive child. Crews attempted CPR on 2-year-old Jamie Drain when they arrived at the scene. The toddler was then taken to the hospital, where she later died, Ruffin said during the press conference.
Ruffin then went on to point out inconsistencies in the statement that Drain provided to police.
Drain told police that she was cooking when her daughter Jamie became unresponsive. She said the toddler started foaming at the mouth, likely from dehydration, according to Ruffin. She also told police that Jamie fell down the stairs around Thanksgiving — however, Ruffin said the autopsy contradicted this statement.
The autopsy revealed that the Jamie died from blunt force trauma to the head, Ruffin said.
Drain is now in custody, awaiting extradition back to North Carolina, according to the Bertie County Sheriff's Office.
