Two Texas parents have been charged with murder, more than a year after their 4-month-old son was discovered dead in a motel dresser drawer.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced on Saturday, June 21, that the baby’s parents had been arrested more than a year after the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to the death of an infant at a motel on Rancho Mission Drive in Houston in May 2024.
The HCSO has accepted murder charges against both Jeremy Fancher, 38, and Destiny Campos, 22, in the death of their daughter, Brookelynn Fancher, on May 26, 2024, according to Gonzalez.
According to the HCSO, the parents had been “living at the location for more than a year” when Brookelynn was discovered unresponsive inside a dresser drawer where she “reportedly slept.”
Destiny was arrested and booked into Harris County Jail on Friday, June 20, following a subsequent investigation. The HCSO reported that Jeremy was arrested on Saturday, June 21, and booked into the Tom Green County Jail.
“I am glad our team has remained relentless and sought justice for this precious infant,” Gonzalez wrote in a statement, praising the efforts of the HCSO’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, Texas Department of Public Safety, San Angelo Police Department, and Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office.
“Thanks to them, we are one step closer to securing justice for baby Brookelynn,” the sheriff added.
Luann Simon, the baby’s maternal great-grandmother, told NBC affiliate KPRC that she was relieved charges had been filed, claiming authorities “found methamphetamines in the [hotel] room” with the baby last year.
Simon said police should have arrested the couple sooner after the baby died. “They have been living their lives like nothing ever happened,” she told the outlet. “They should have been charged with the drugs at the scene and held on those charges until the homicide charges were ready.”
Simon, who stated that she would “like to see them spend the rest of their lives behind bars,” also claimed that her granddaughter Destiny informed her that it “was not the first time” the couple put Brookelynn in the dresser drawer, as they would “shut her in there” when they wanted “alone time.”
It is unclear whether Jeremy and Destiny have legal representation who can comment on their behalf.
According to charging documents, Destiny allegedly told investigators that her husband would seal the drawer shut with a towel to keep the infant from kicking it open. KHOU reported that the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Brookelynn died from suffocation.
According to Fox affiliate KRIV, after the infant died, Jeremy claimed he was at the store and returned to find the drawer closed, while Destiny claimed she was asleep and assumed the baby was with him. The parents were also living with their one-year-old son at the time, according to the outlet.
According to KPRC, a motel housekeeper photographed Brookelynn in the drawer and reported it to management.
Jeremy’s bond has been set at $850,000, according to jail records. Destiny is due in court on Monday, June 23, and her bond is $300,000, according to additional jail records.
If you suspect child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453.
