Florida Man Kills Girlfriend's 2-Year-Old Daughter After She Breaks Up With Him

Last Updated:June 10, 2025, 14:36 IST

A Florida man was sentenced to life for killing a two-year-old by severing her spine while she was in his care. The incident occurred after the child’s mother broke up with him.

A representative photo of the Florida Police (AP)

A 27-year-old man in Florida was sentenced to life in prison on charges of killing a two-year-old in his care, a week after the child’s mother broke up with him.

According to a report with People, the accused, identified as Travis Ray Thompson, was guilty of first-degree murder after it was learnt that he severed the spine of the young girl.

The incident happened on May 2, 2022, when the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received reports of child abuse after the girl was rushed to the emergency room in critical condition.

The girl could not be saved despite the doctors’ life-saving measures.

Subsequently, a case was registered, and Thompson was found guilty of killing the girl.

According to the report, the girl’s mother had left her in Thompson’s care in the morning and had left for work. After nearly 25 minutes, she received a call from Thompson, who said there was something wrong with her daughter.

The mother told the sheriff’s office that when she arrived, “Jacklyn (the girl) was lifeless, with a shallow pulse and a distended abdomen."

She, along and Thompson, got into a vehicle and took Jacklyn to a nearby hospital when she stopped breathing.

The mother told Thompson to call 911, and an ambulance showed up at a nearby business to transport the 2-year-old for medical treatment, the attorney’s office statement said.

When the medical team at the hospital suspected the child was suffering from internal bleeding, they notified the sheriff’s office and the Department of Children and Families.

During interrogations, Thompson claimed he was in a different room when he heard a loud noise and found the girl unresponsive and not breathing.

Later that year, the Medical Examiner’s Officer determined that Jacklyn’s cause of death was traumatic injuries to her torso, including a severing of her spine and internal bleeding in her abdomen.

The Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Thompson had to apply significant, gradual force to Jacklyn’s upper and lower body, bending her backwards beyond her “natural range of motion" until her back broke, they wrote in a statement.

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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