Her son's death was mourned, and his funeral was funded. The horrific truth unfolded later
Twenty-year-old Angel Verner mourned her 7-month-old son's death online, even launching a fundraising campaign for his funeral. She sought donations to create jewelry from the child's ashes. Nonetheless, the grim truth soon emerged. The young woman was charged with infanticide.
11:03 AM EST, November 20, 2023
Angel Lynn Marie Varner from Texas started a GoFundMe campaign the day after her son's death. In her post, she mentioned that she, along with her partner, were collecting funds for the cremation, funeral, urn, and monument of her son, Jackson.
"He was the light of our lives, and we will soon find out what happened," she wrote on the fundraising page, implying that the cause of the sudden death of the 7-month-old child was unknown.
Varner also requested donations to make jewelry from her son's ashes so that "he will always be with us". She further shared numerous photos of the deceased infant.
Accused of Killing Her Son while Raising Funeral Funds
According to ABC7 News, emergency services were called to her Amarillo apartment, where she lived with her partner, child, and two roommates, on November 6. Unfortunately, when the rescuers arrived, Jackson had already passed away. His mother initially reported that the baby died in his sleep.
The child's body underwent an autopsy, exposing the cause of death as blunt force trauma. During questioning, the woman admitted to tossing Jackson onto the bed, wrapping him in two blankets, and then squeezing his belly until he stopped crying, eventually throwing him onto the floor.
ABC7 News journalists discovered in court records, that Varner confessed to the police that she noticed Jackson wasn't breathing, yet instead of seeking aid, she went to sleep.
On November 8, the 20-year-old was arrested on murder charges. She is currently awaiting trial. Those who donated to the online fundraiser have been refunded.
