Heatstroke Deaths of Children in Vehicles

Forensics report delays arrest of mother after baby's March hot car death

WALKER COUNTY, Ala. — A mother is jailed in Walker County months after her child died inside a car.

35-year-old Memory Ryan Vieyra is now charged with murder. Vieyra wasn't charged until Wednesday. But Sheriff James Underwood said her 14-month-old daughter actually died in March. ABC 33/40 NEWS went to Walker County to get answers on the delay.

A child is dead after being left inside a car for several hours by her mother. Vieyra is under arrest, but the Walker County Sheriff's Office said the reason it took so long to release this information is because of a forensics report. Allie Phillips is a mother of three who lives in Jasper. As she picked up her two-year-old daughter she said, "Honestly how could someone be so careless with their children? This is a gift you are supposed to take care of it."

It's information parents like Allie and her husband Dru never want to hear. Investigators with the Walker County Sheriff's Office arrived at a home in Carbon Hill in late March and found a 14-month-old baby dead. Sheriff Underwood said the charges of murder and aggravated abuse fit the crime. Underwood stated, "It's probably one of the worst cases I have seen. I worked on child abuse cases for the DA's office so I have seen a lot."

According to the Sheriff, the child spent 7 hours in the car. The internal temperature reached 140 degrees all while the mother sat inside the house. Dru told ABC 33/40 NEWS, "But then to be possibly the reason you lost a child it's not even something I can imagine." Sheriff Underwood said waiting to notify the public until receiving the forensics report was necessary. Underwood explained, "We don't report every crime that happens in the county nor does anybody else."

Vieyera is being held on a $250,000 bond at the Walker County Jail.

No trial date has been set for these charges.

Sheriff Underwood told ABC 33/40 NEWS, Vieyra was arrested in Forestdale Wednesday with the help of Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies.

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A Forestdale mother is behind bars in Walker County, charged in the death of her toddler daughter.

Sheriff's officials arrested 35-year-old Memory Ryan Vieyra on charges of murder and aggravated child abuse just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to court records. She is charged in the March 29 death of 14-month-old Giuliana Susan Grace Ramirez.

The incident at 2713 Leonard Chapel Road in Carbon Hill. The criminal complaint for murder against Vieyra states that she engaged in conduct which manifested extreme indifference to human life and created a grave risk of death to the little girl. Vieyra did so by "violently shaking Giuliana and/or leaving (her) in a vehicle that reached extreme internal temperatures for an extended period of time."

According to the charge of aggravated child abuse dealing with the same March incident, Vieyra caused serious physical injury to Guiliana, who had superficial lacerations to the tissue inside of her lips, a contusion to the forehead and hemorrhaging of the scalp. She also had abrasions to her torso, right wrist and left arm.

Efforts to reach Walker County Sheriff Jim Underwood were unsuccessful. Vieyra remains in the Walker County Jail on $250,000 bond.

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Woman charged in baby's death
Posted Friday, July 21, 2017
BY ED HOWELL
Daily Mountain Eagle

A Jefferson County woman has been arrested and charged with murder and aggravated child abuse in connection with her young daughter’s death.

According to court records, Memory Ryan Vieyra, 35, of Forestdale, was arrested by a Walker County Sheriff’s Office deputy at 3:11 p.m. Wednesday. Vieyra is being held at the Walker County Jail in Jasper on a $250,000 bond.

According to records, on March 29 at 2713 Leonard Chapel Road in Carbon Hill, Vieyra’s actions caused the death of her 1-year-old child, Giuliana Susan Grace Ramirez, by allegedly violently shaking her and/or leaving her in a vehicle with extreme temperatures for an extended period of time.

Vieyra also allegedly caused serious physical injuries, leaving “superficial lacerations of the superior labial mucosa, and/or contusion of the forehead and/or scalpular and galeal hemorrhages, and/or abrasions of the torso, right wrist (and) left arm.”

The complaint was filed on June 26.

According to ABC 33/40, Underwood said the baby died as a result of being left in the car while the mother went into the house. Underwood could not be reached Thursday for comment.