Overview
- Kent County prosecutors charged Irene Aiyana Whitehead with two counts of felony murder and two counts of first-degree child abuse tied to the deaths of Ryleigh, 2, and Leonard, 2 months.
- A separate second-degree child-abuse count alleges long-term abuse of Whitehead’s now 6-year-old daughter, Kina.
- Whitehead was arraigned on the additional charges Jan. 14 and remains held in the Kent County Jail without bond, with prosecutors saying no plea deal will be offered.
- Investigators say Whitehead admitted to suffocating Ryleigh with a bag, which led authorities to reopen Leonard’s 2021 death that had initially been ruled natural.
- The medical examiner reported suffocation could not be excluded in the 2025 death, the sheriff said public tips advanced the case, and a preliminary examination is set for Feb. 9.