Former Alabama Resident Accused of Killing Her Child

The passing of a child is never welcomed news to anyone, but it's excruciating to hear when the child’s own parent has been accused of causing their child’s death.

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Alabama native Jessica Bortle, charged with her daughter Jasmine Singletary’s death, appeared in an Escambia County courtroom this week in Florida.

Bortle has been accused of causing the death of her special needs daughter by slamming a table into her abdomen in a fit of anger, according to AL.com. Jasmine allegedly broke and threw crayons at Bortle, which was the catalyst for Bortle's reaction to her.

Bortle’s daughter was admitted to the hospital on July 8, 2021 in Pensacola for treatment on an unrelated issue. On July 13, 2021, Jessica Bortle made the claim that Jasmine had stopped breathing.

However, as reported by Pensacola News Journal, Bortle later admitted to slamming a table into her daughter and leaning her weight on it. The pressure from her weight crushed her child’s liver.

Per the report, a few minutes after Bortle attacked her daughter, Singletary’s grandmother said she her say "grandma" and her eyes rolled back in her head.

When examined, Jasmine had several internal injuries, usually seen from a victim involved in an Auto collision. AL.com reported she had internal injuries to her ribs and liver, which had not been there previously.

The State of Florida has charged Bortle and assigned a public defender to represent her at trial. If Jessica Bortle is found guilty of all charges, she could possibly spend over 40 years in a Florida prison.