4-month-old girl died when dad got high, passed out on top of her, Tennessee cops say

A Tennessee man has been found guilty of slowly smothering his 4-month-old daughter to death when he got high and passed out on top of her, according to the Lebanon Police department.

Jesse Wayne Craddock was charged with felony first-degree murder, aggravated child neglect and simple possession of fentanyl, police said in a July 20 news release.

His daughter, Harley Craddock, was 4 months old when she died April 3, 2021, at the Travel Inn motel in Lebanon, officials said. Lebanon is about 30 miles northeast of Nashville.

Officers report they found the “unresponsive infant” and a “disoriented” 38-year-old man outside Room 165, officials said. Attempts at CPR failed to revive the child, officials said.

“An investigation ... revealed that the deceased infant was the daughter of Jesse Wayne Craddock. He had been left in the care of his child while the mother was at work,” officials said.

“Evidence gathered during the investigation and autopsy revealed that the infant died from asphyxiation. Investigators were able to determine that Jesse Wayne Craddock fell on top of the child while he was under the influence of Fentanyl and remained there as the child passed away.”

Craddock was found in possession of “suspected narcotics” after the incident, officials said.

A Wilson County jury found him guilty of all charges after a four-day trial, officials said. He will be sentenced in November, officials said.

This story was originally published July 21, 2023 at 7:52 AM with the headline "4-month-old girl died when dad got high, passed out on top of her, Tennessee cops say."