Janette Clayton Charged With Homicide by Child Abuse in SC

Janette Clayton Charged With Homicide by Child Abuse in SC

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A North Charleston mother is facing homicide charges after an 11-month-old child was found dead in a home described as being in deplorable condition. Janette Elizabeth Clayton, 27, was arrested on November 4, according to reports from WYFF and WCIV, following a lengthy investigation into the death of her child.

While the child was discovered deceased on June 17, 2026, official documents indicate the abuse and neglect began as early as July 2025.

Clayton Failed to Provide Medical Care for Sick Child

The child, who was born prematurely, had been diagnosed with sickle cell disease. This condition required consistent, medically necessary appointments to manage the illness. However, according to an arrest warrant cited by WYFF, Clayton failed to take the child to these required medical visits.

janette elizabeth clayton
Photo: wyff4.com

When authorities arrived at the residence on June 17, 2026, they found firefighters performing life-saving measures on the 11-month-old. The child was found partially wrapped in a blanket near the front doorway. The conditions inside the home were severe; investigators reported the residence was infested with cockroaches and flies, and there was no food available for the child.

WCIV reported that the child was emaciated, weighing only 4 pounds and 13 ounces at the time of discovery. An autopsy later determined that the cause of death was starvation, complicated by acute bronchopneumonia resulting from neglect. Because of these findings, the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Mother charged with homicide by child abuse in 11-month-old’s death

Following the autopsy and the subsequent investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Clayton was charged with homicide by child abuse. At the time of her arrest on November 4, she was already being held at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center on related charges brought by the North Charleston Police Department.

The discrepancy in the exact start date of the abuse—noted as July 2025 in an affidavit reported by WCIV and July 12, 2025, in a warrant reported by WYFF—highlights the intensive forensic work required to establish the duration of the neglect. The legal process will now focus on the specific period between July 2025 and the child’s death in June 2026 to establish the full scope of the homicide by child abuse charge.

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