Florida father accused of shoving baby wipe down daughter’s throat, killing her

A South Florida father is behind bars after investigators say he shoved a baby wipe down his daughter's throat, killing her.

Joseph Napier was arrested Friday for the May 28, 2021 death of 2-month-old Iris Noel, Indian County Sheriff's Office officials said in a news conference Tuesday.

According to the sheriff's office, Napier said that he had left the baby with his other one-year-old daughter together in a different room for only 10 minutes. The father stated that the older sibling shoved a baby wipe down the infant's throat, but Sheriff Eric Flowers said that forensic evidence indicated this was impossible.

"He put that wipe in that child's mouth. He pushed it down far enough that this child choked," Flowers said. "It took doctors going deep into this child's throat with forceps [to get it out]."

The sheriff said that they believed the father was fed up with the child, who would constantly cry because she had colic. Iris’ grandfather Joe Miller, who was at the news conference, believes the same thing, as he left the house minutes before she died

"As I was getting dressed, Joe [Napier] was screaming at the top of his lungs at the baby, 'Why can't you shut the eff up?!'" Miller said.

Napier is facing manslaughter charges. The sheriff said he doesn't face homicide charges because there wasn't enough evidence to indicate that his intent was to kill the baby. Napier is behind bars at this moment, and a judge set his bond at $750,000.