Woman charged with starving her 2-month-old son, Jashawn McBride, to death in 2014

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 11:48:55 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Shawnquail Minnis | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

A Far South Side woman accused of starving her 2-month-old son Jashawn McBride to death two years ago has been ordered on a $2 million bond.

Shawnquail Minnis, 23, faces one felony count of first-degree murder, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

Minnis gave birth to a full-term, healthy baby boy on Sept. 13, 2014, prosecutors said. At the time of his birth, Jashawn weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces.

The baby lived with Minnis and her mother in the 10900 block of South Indiana, prosecutors said. Minnis was his sole caretaker.

On Oct. 2, 2014, Minnis took the baby to University of Illinois Hospital, where he was treated for a fungal infection in his mouth, prosecutors said. He weighed 8 pounds, 2.5 ounces at the time of the visit.

On Nov. 5, 2014, Minnis and a friend found Jashawn unresponsive and not breathing, prosecutors said. Minnis called 911, and paramedics took the baby to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. He was 52 days old.

The baby’s face was sunken in, and his facial and rib bones were showing, prosecutors said. He weighed 4 pounds, 13 ounces at the time of his death.

An autopsy found he died of starvation and manner of death was negligent homicide, according to prosecutors.

Minnis was arrested Friday and ordered held on a $2 million bond, according to police and the Cook County sheriff’s office. She is next scheduled to appear in court Feb. 21.

Shawnquail Minnis | Homicide Watch Chicago

Woman charged with starving her 2-month-old son, Jashawn McBride, to death in 2014