Mother, Angela Davis Murphree, Admits to Killing Infant Daughter, Madison Murphree, by Poisoning With Methadone

A Tennessee woman is in jail after being charged with murdering her 11-month old baby girl by poisoning the infant with methadone pills.
Police say 30-year old Angela Davis Murphree admitted to giving the baby her methadone pills, which are commonly used to treat people addicted to drugs.
On October 21, 2010 after a doctor in Mississippi became concerned about the baby's condition, she was sent to Le bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, where she tested positive for methadone. Once receiving treatment at the hospital, the baby appeared to be getting better.
Two tests, between the time the baby started receiving care and November 2nd were negative for the drug.
But then the baby died on November 3rd. Another drug screen came back positive for methadone. Police say, the only person with access to the baby, was her mother, who they believe was responsible for giving her the drug.
Cpt. Cedric Davis with the Tunica County Sheriff's Office says, "it appears something happened in the hospital."
Murphree is charged with first degree murder and aggravated child abuse.
According to an affidavit, she admitted to Memphis police that she crushed her methadone pills and put them in her baby's food.
The Medical Examiner ruled the baby's death was a homicide, as a result of complications from the toxic effects of methadone.


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30-year old Angela Davis Murphree is now charged with first degree murder and aggravated child abuse.

According to an affidavit, Murphree admitted to Memphis police that she crushed her methadone pills and put them in her baby's food. The report didn't say why.

While the homicide case is in Memphis, Murphree is from Tunica.

Captain Davis says they weren't notified of an investigation by the Mississippi Department of Human Services, until the day the baby died. That was almost 2 weeks after she was admitted to the hospital with methadone in her system.

Cpt. Davis says, "We immediately sent investigators to Le Bohneur upon our investigators arrival, they announced the child died while in intensive care there."

Multiple sources say the Mississippi Department of Human Services received multiple complaints about the mother, starting around the time she had the baby. But the Tunica County Sheriff's Office says this was the first time DHS notified them of an investigation. As of airtime our call and an email to DHS had not been returned.
Cpt Davis says, "We’re doing all we can along with MPD to determine what happened."

A spokesperson for Le Bohneur Children's Hospital says police asked them not to discuss the case.

We'll be staying on top of this story and looking into what the Mississippi Department of Human Services did about the previous complaints filed against the mother.

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In July of 2009, Murphree was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance when officers stopped her vehicle near Highland and Walnut Grove in East Memphis, records show.

According to the affidavit in that case, a search found several DVDs that were determined to be stolen from an area Big Lots store earlier that day, a marijuana cigarette in the vehicle's center console and two syringes in Murphree's purse.

Murphree was being held in Shelby County's Jail East. No bond had been set.

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My Sister died from an overdose of a drug much like methadone. When I saw her I could tell she had not suffered. So I hope this baby went to sleep and did not suffer at all. May Angela suffer for the rest of her life in prision. Baby killer!

How STRANGE!