Grandmother Roxanne Record has been convicted, while China Record’s mother still faces a separate prosecution.
BATON ROUGE, La. — The death of 4-year-old China Record has left one adult convicted and another still awaiting court proceedings after prosecutors said a punishment involving whiskey turned fatal inside a Baton Rouge home.
Roxanne Record, China’s grandmother, was found guilty of manslaughter after jurors heard that she forced the child to drink whiskey as punishment. Kadjah Record, China’s mother, remains charged separately. Police said the mother watched and failed to intervene. Together, the cases focus on more than the fatal act itself. They examine who had power over the child, who was present, and what each adult did as China’s condition worsened.
The first public account came from police after officers were called to a home in the 12000 block of Wallis Street on April 21, 2022. The call reported an unresponsive child. Firefighters and emergency medical workers tried to save China at the scene. Investigators later said the girl’s grandmother had forced her to consume whiskey while her mother watched. Police said China’s blood alcohol level was 0.680, a number far beyond the legal limit for an adult driver and a level authorities described as fatal. The East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office determined that she died from acute alcohol poisoning. Those findings became the backbone of the prosecution that followed.
Prosecutors said the punishment began after China was accused of taking a sip from a bottle of Canadian Mist whiskey. In the state’s account, Roxanne Record made the child kneel in a hallway and drink from the bottle. Assistant District Attorney Dana Cummings told jurors the girl was not treated like other children in the home. Cummings said China’s acts involving food and water were cast as “stealing,” even when the items were basic needs in her own house. She argued that the household language showed a deeper pattern of cruelty. The defense said the testimony was uneven and that the state was trying to turn a terrible accident into a murder case.
The mother’s role remains one of the case’s unresolved legal questions. Baton Rouge police said Kadjah Record told investigators she saw her mother leave the kitchen with the liquor and saw that the bottle was empty when her mother returned. Police also said Kadjah saw her daughter unresponsive and later gave inconsistent statements. Prosecutors allege she did not stop the punishment. Because her case has not been resolved, those claims remain allegations. Her next court appearance was scheduled for June 29. That hearing may determine the next steps in her prosecution and could shape whether she faces trial, reaches a plea agreement or continues through pretrial motions.
Roxanne Record’s trial ended with a manslaughter verdict instead of a murder conviction. That outcome shows jurors found criminal responsibility but not the specific intent needed for first-degree murder. Defense attorney Caitlin Fowlkes told jurors that Record tried to perform CPR during the 911 call and that the state could not prove she meant to kill the child. Prosecutors emphasized the amount of alcohol, China’s age and the alleged household history. Record’s alleged statements to police also became part of the case. Investigators said she acknowledged that she “messed up,” that the situation “went too far” and that she “wanted to take full responsibility.”
The family context added another layer to the courtroom record. Ebony Record, China’s aunt, said after the arrest that relatives had known enough to feel responsible for not acting sooner. “We all failed,” she said. She also said she knew how her mother felt about China. Her comments did not replace courtroom proof, but they reflected the grief and blame that followed the child’s death. The state child welfare agency did not discuss whether it had prior involvement with the family, saying Louisiana law keeps possible abuse and neglect investigations confidential. As a result, the public record does not show whether any agency had received earlier reports involving the household.
The facts that are public show a short, deadly sequence inside a home and a longer legal process outside it. China was accused of drinking from a bottle. The state said a grandmother turned that accusation into punishment. A mother was accused of standing by. Emergency crews arrived after the child became unresponsive. Police arrested both adults. Years later, a jury convicted Roxanne Record of manslaughter. The mother’s case remains pending. Each stage has shifted the focus from the child’s final moments to the adult decisions around her. Prosecutors are expected to keep that focus as the second case moves forward.
What happens next depends on two court tracks. Roxanne Record must be sentenced for manslaughter, with lawyers likely to argue over the length and terms of punishment. Kadjah Record must return to court in the pending case against her. The mother’s case could bring new testimony about the same house, the same bottle and the same morning. It could also clarify what prosecutors believe she had time and ability to do before the 911 call. Until then, the public record gives a partial answer: one adult has been convicted, and another still faces judgment.
For China Record’s relatives, the courtroom record now carries two tracks: one verdict against the grandmother and one unresolved case against the mother. The next stage will move from what happened in the hallway to how the courts assign punishment and blame.
Author note: Last updated May 22, 2026.