Florida babysitter Christine Falling pleaded guilty in 1982 to murdering three children in her care by suffocation, after several other deaths of children and an elderly man under her supervision had gone unexplained.
Christine Falling — Credit: Florida Department of Corrections · Public domain
Christine Laverne Falling (née Slaughter, born March 12, 1963) grew up in poverty in Florida, was considered mentally challenged, and suffered from epilepsy. Her parents forced her into a brief marriage at age 14 that ended in divorce after six weeks, after which she experienced repeated hospitalizations for unexplained symptoms. She began working as a babysitter for neighbors and friends to earn money.
Between 1980 and 1982, a series of deaths occurred among children and an elderly man in Falling's care. On February 25, 1980, 2-year-old Cassidy Johnson was taken to a doctor in Blountstown, Florida, and diagnosed with encephalitis; she died on February 28, 1980. An autopsy found the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the skull. Falling, who had been babysitting Johnson, claimed the child had "passed out" and fallen from her crib. The attending physician did not believe this account and recommended police investigate, but the note was lost and the case was closed at the time.
After moving to Lakeland, Florida, 4-year-old Jeffrey Davis died in early summer 1980 while under Falling's supervision; an autopsy attributed the death to myocarditis. Days later, Falling was asked to watch Jeffrey's 2-year-old cousin, Joseph Spring, who died within hours; doctors attributed this to a viral infection and speculated the same virus may have caused Davis's death.
In July 1981, Falling returned to her hometown of Perry, Florida, and began working as a caregiver for elderly people after fewer families sought her as a babysitter. Seventy-seven-year-old William Swindle died in his kitchen on the same day Falling began caring for him. Later that year, 8-month-old Jennifer Daniels, the daughter of Falling's half-sister, died while briefly left with Falling in a car; Sudden Infant Death Syndrome was initially suspected.
The case turned on the death of 10-week-old Travis Coleman on July 2, 1982, while in Falling's care in Blountstown. An autopsy found internal injuries consistent with suffocation. When questioned by police, Falling confessed to killing three children, stating she had heard voices telling her to "kill the baby," and described suffocating them with pillows and blankets.
Falling pleaded guilty to the murders of Cassidy Johnson, Jennifer Daniels, and Travis Coleman. In December 1982, she was sentenced to life imprisonment; her confession was cited as a factor in her avoiding the death penalty. After serving 25 years, she became eligible for parole; a parole board rejected her application in November 2017, with no supporters attending the hearing. She was scheduled for a further hearing in 2024 and remains incarcerated at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida.
Florida babysitter Christine Falling pleaded guilty in 1982 to murdering three children in her care by suffocation, after several other deaths of children and an elderly man under her supervision had gone unexplained.
Where did the murders happen?
Perry, Florida, United States.
Who was convicted?
Christine Falling (Pleaded guilty in December 1982 to the murders of Cassidy Johnson, Jennifer Daniels, and Travis Coleman; sentenced to life imprisonment.).
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