34-year-old mother, who found her 3-year-old son “lying on his back and foaming from his mouth” nearly 6 hours after she left him and his 4 other siblings alone in the home, was arrested
Wisconsin – In a shocking incident in Wisconsin, authorities have arrested 34‑year‑old Z. Joiner‑Murphy and charged her with one count of child neglect resulting in death following the brutal death of her 3‑year‑old son. According to the criminal complaint, Joiner‑Murphy’s actions—or failures—amount to neglect “with complete and utter disregard for human life.” The investigation showed that the boy suffered severe blunt‑force trauma and was left unattended for hours, resulting in his death.
Joiner‑Murphy’s charge stems from her son’s death on November 6, when she called 911 shortly before 7 a.m. and reported her son was “unresponsive and not breathing.” According to the affidavit, she said she had left the residence at about 6:30 a.m. after dropping her four other children at the bus stop, expecting to be gone only ten minutes. She claimed she returned to find her son “lying on his back and foaming from his mouth.”
Investigators found that the young boy had suffered a large hemorrhage in his abdomen consistent with non‑accidental trauma, evidence of physical abuse rather than an accident. Police say Joiner‑Murphy left all five children—her 3‑year‑old plus four siblings—home alone unattended from approximately midnight on November 5 through 5:45 a.m. on November 6. According to her account, the only adults present during this time were her boyfriend, who was asleep, and an upstairs friend, who would sometimes check on her children while she was at work. She claimed the friend was watching the children that night. When investigators interviewed her friend, however, she said she was not in the home that night. Surveillance from her grandmother’s house confirmed her story.
Joiner‑Murphy’s boyfriend was still present at her home when she returned and found her son lifeless. When emergency medical personnel arrived, the child was transported to Children’s Wisconsin Emergency Department, where he remained unresponsive and was pronounced dead at about 8:41 a.m. Medical staff discovered an abdominal hemorrhage on the toddler and other injuries consistent with physical abuse rather than neglect alone. During a police interview, Joiner‑Murphy said the boy had woken at 5:45 a.m. and “was running around” before she left him in the care of her boyfriend.
Joiner‑Murphy later admitted she and her boyfriend had been at home until midnight, then left the five children unattended to get food, returned briefly, and then left again around 1:30 a.m.—while the children remained alone. Her explanation shifted in the interview, as police found her story inconsistent and the medical evidence pointed to deliberate abuse. Joiner‑Murphy is currently being held in the county jail on a $50,000 cash‑only bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on November 21. As of now, no plea has been entered. The case remains under investigation, and police have identified both her and her boyfriend as “suspects who had the opportunity to inflict the blunt force trauma” on the toddler.
For now, authorities are continuing to review the facts of the children’s care, who was watching them during the unsupervised hours, and whether additional charges will be filed against the other adult. The community has been stunned by the case, and the family of the toddler has been left grappling with unimaginable loss. As the investigation moves forward, questions remain about how five young children came to be left alone and how horrific injuries went unnoticed. The facts as currently documented paint a grim picture: a toddler, a home unattended, and a mother whose failings prosecutors say led to the worst outcome. The upcoming court proceedings will decide if the mother’s neglect crosses the line into criminal culpability—and what punishment will follow for a life ended before a chance to speak, walk, or grow.
