Family of suspects accused of killing toddler by forcing her to drink whiskey claims years of prior abuse

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The family of the two women accused of killing a 4-year-old by forcing the toddler to drink a bottle of whiskey is speaking out.

According to Baton Rouge Police, China Record died from acute alcohol poisoning.

Investigators said the child’s grandmother, Roxanne Record, 53, forced the baby to drink a bottle of alcohol as the mother, Kadjah Record, 28, watched. They were both booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a charge of first-degree murder on April 22.

“We all failed. We all failed,” said Ebony Record.

Ebony is the daughter of Roxanne and the sister of Kadjah. She said China’s death falls on the shoulders of the entire family.

“I should take blame too. I know what type of person my mom is. I know how my mom felt about China,” said Record.

She claimed her mother physically, emotionally, and verbally abused them as kids and did the same to her grandchildren, but she said they never reported it to the police out of fear.

She believes if she would have spoken up sooner that China would still be here.

“We were never going to tell. Now it’s sad that it took a body for people to know what’s going on over here,” said Record. “I’m 30 years old, and it took for my niece to die for me to speak out against my own mother.”

Record said her mother should pay for what police said she did.

“She’s not getting out. She’s going to pay for what she did because you took beyond too far,” said Record.

However, she feels her sister has suffered enough.

“My sister already gave 28 years and a baby. Why should she have to give the rest of her life,” questioned Record.

Record hopes people will take what happened to their family and speak up when you see abuse before it’s too late.

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