A North Carolina daycare worker faces involuntary manslaughter charges after a 16-month-old girl in her care died on what should have been a routine first day at the facility.
Madolyn Mitchell — known to her family as Maddy — was dropped off at Creative Beginnings in Lenoir for the first time on 19 May 2025. She did not survive the day. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has since classified her death as a homicide.
Alexandra Coffey, 29, is accused of smothering the toddler while attempting to make her sleep during nap time. A civil lawsuit filed by Maddy’s parents this week alleges that when the child refused to settle, Coffey placed her face down on a mat, covered her head with a blanket, and positioned herself on top of the girl’s body. According to the suit, the child’s leg could be seen kicking for several minutes — a sign Coffey allegedly disregarded as she continued looking at her phone.
The lawsuit further alleges that Coffey did not return to check on Maddy for around three hours. When she did, the child was dead and rigor mortis had set in. Coffey moved the body to a separate room before calling emergency services. Paramedics were unable to save the girl.
Maddy’s parents, Angel Dawn Blankenship and Jovon Jerell Mitchell, are pursuing a wrongful death claim against Coffey, arguing she had a clear duty to keep their daughter safe and failed catastrophically in that responsibility. They are seeking at least $50,000 in damages and have requested a jury trial.
Coffey was arrested in 2025 and remains in Caldwell County Jail on a $500,000 bond while criminal proceedings continue. Creative Beginnings issued a statement at the time describing the incident as heartbreaking.
