Murder charge in young child’s death

A Raleigh County stepfather is charged with murder and his wife with felony child neglect following the death of a two-year-old girl.

State Troopers charged James Green, 23, of Fairdale Saturday after the girl’s death at Charleston Area Medical Center. The girl’s mother, Brandy Smallwood, 27, is being held on child neglect resulting in death.

At 9:23 on Friday evening, police responded to a 911 call of a child falling from the window of a house trailer.

When the Troopers arrived on the scene, they found that the child had been carried to a neighbor’s house by Green. Police later found Green unresponsive in his residence from an apparent drug overdose.

The child, meanwhile, was transported to CAMC Hospital and Green was transported to Raleigh General Hospital. At 2:30 Saturday morning, the child died as a result of the injuries received.

State Troopers say the child’s injuries were not consistent with falling out a window. Green was charged with murder after he was released from the hospital.

The victim has a twin sibling and that child was put into the custody of Child Protective Services.