Chilling details released as three Memphis daycare workers indicted in 6-year-old Winter Jones’ bus death

A Memphis daycare bus driver and two facility employees were arrested after a 6-year-old girl died inside a hot vehicle, prosecutors said.

Tametria Norry worked as a bus driver alongside assistant director Sabrina Powe and daycare assistant Amilya Hardin at Kid University, according to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.

The three workers were indicted following the death of 6-year-old Winter Jones, prosecutors said.

Norry, Powe and Hardin were each charged with one count of aggravated child neglect, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

The driver and her two coworkers also face charges of criminally negligent homicide, the newspaper reported.

Each defendant was additionally charged with destruction of and tampering with governmental records, according to court documents.

On August 13, Memphis police and ambulance crews were dispatched to Kid University after Winter was discovered on a bus parked outside the facility, authorities said.

The child was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, officials said.

Winter had been dropped off at Kid University that morning so staff could take her to Macon Hall Elementary School, authorities said. But the child remained inside the daycare vehicle after it returned to Kid University, according to the district attorney’s office.

The 6-year-old was not found until around 3 p.m. that afternoon, the Commercial Appeal reported.

Winter died with an internal temperature of 109 degrees, her father, Bryan Jones, said, according to WREG.

Following the child’s death, the Tennessee Department of Human Services conducted a fatality inspection at Kid University, state records show.

Inspectors determined the daycare facility was noncompliant with several transportation requirements, state officials found.

“Among the findings, inspectors reported that required vehicle inspection procedures were not completed after children were unloaded, the transportation log was not accurately completed and required walk-throughs to confirm all children were off the vehicle were not conducted,” the D.A.’s office said.

Winter’s family spoke out about her death for the first time during a press conference on Thursday, September 10, according to the Commercial Appeal.

Her father called the girl’s death senseless, saying it was the result of absolute negligence from the daycare staff, the paper reported.

“This is an absolute nightmare,” Bryan said. “As a father, I won’t be able to walk her down the aisle. I won’t become a grandfather. I can’t watch Winter progress even though she was diagnosed with autism. Winter was progressing. All of that was taken away by absolute negligence, by people who were too busy doing nothing to where they couldn’t make sure Winter was taken care of properly.”

The daycare employees were being investigated for many infractions, family attorney Walter Bailey said.

The girl’s family plans to pursue the case in civil court, the attorney added.

On Friday, September 11, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office announced the indictments against Norry, Powe and Hardin.

Kid University permanently closed following Winter’s death, officials said.

Facility owner Dr. Raven Marshall-Lewis surrendered the daycare center’s license, according to authorities.

It was not immediately clear whether Norry, Powe and Hardin had entered pleas or retained legal counsel following their arrests.