Authorities have determined that a Florida woman accused of intentionally suffocating her 10-month-old son set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs, authorities said earlier this week.
Victoria Grace Jackson, 24, of Clearwater is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her son, Malachi Jackson, a 10-month-old, according to arrest records. Police arrested Jackson on Friday night, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
The GoFundMe page, which is now deleted, attracted more than 100 donors and raised $4,393, which was close to her $5,000 goal, according to the newspaper report.
“I want to give my son the best memorial service I can,” the description said. “He died last Friday night. We don’t know what the cause is yet, I woke up and he wasn’t breathing and had bloody foam coming from his nose. I’ve never been so heart broken in my life. Please help me take care of my baby one last time."
According to police, Jackson called 911 on May 24 and said she found her son "unresponsive" in his crib, the newspaper reported. Paramedics took the baby to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the Times reported.
Investigators canvassed her home after her initial 911 call in May, but they didn’t find any evidence to disprove her version of the story, according to WCJB-20 in Gainesville.
However, a friend came forward months later on Oct. 30, revealing that Jackson confessed to using a pillow to cover Malachi’s nose and mouth until he stopped breathing.
Investigators said they recorded a phone call with Jackson in which she incriminated herself. They arrested her Friday.
On Sunday, GoFundMe began refunding all of Jackson’s donors.
“It’s important to know that the platform is backed by the GoFundMe Guarantee, which means all donors are fully protected by a refund policy,” GoFundMe told WFTS.
