About a week after the little girl’s mother ended their relationship, a Florida man will be imprisoned for the rest of his life for the death of a 2-year-old who died from a severe spinal injury while in his care.
Travis Ray Thompson, 27, was found guilty on one count of first-degree murder in connection with the horrifying event that killed Jacklyn Schwingel in May 2022.
Jurors deliberated for just under two hours earlier this week before returning a guilty verdict. Judge Barbara Kissner of the Fifth Judicial Circuit later gave the defendant a life sentence.
In reference to Wednesday’s punishment, State Attorney Bill Gladson stated in a press statement on Thursday that, “This monster stole the life of an innocent child, and today, the justice system made sure he will never walk free again. Life in prison is too good for this kind of evil.”
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office claims that on the day in question, Thompson mistreated the girl until her spine was “completely severed,” after which she waited for half an hour before being taken to the hospital.
“Based on the severity and nature of the break, it was determined that Thompson applied significant, gradual force to the victim’s upper and lower body from the front with a fulcrum point on her lower back,” the sheriff’s office stated in their initial press release.
According to an autopsy report, Jacklyn died from acute injuries that caused “disarticulation of the lumbar spine.” According to the document, “significant, gradual force was placed simultaneously on the front of (the victim’s) upper torso/head and lower body” causing the break.
The girl additionally experienced severe internal bleeding as a result of those injuries.
Investigators discovered that on the evening of May 2, 2022, Jacklyn’s mother was spending the night in Thompson’s camper so that she could assist him the following day with a car repair.
The defendant returned to the camper early the following morning after dropping an older child off at a school bus stop. When her mother left for work in the late morning, the young daughter was allegedly left in his care.
Thompson allegedly claimed that after spending fifteen minutes at a nearby lake with Jacklyn, he went back to the campground to use the restroom. He allegedly said that the youngster was last seen on a futon.
According to the arrest report, Jackyn was limp and “gurgling” when the defendant informed police he heard a loud noise and emerged from the restroom, but he was still breathing shallowly.
The arrest report claims that before the girl’s mother returned to the campsite, a number of phone calls were placed.
After that, the two accompanied Jacklyn to the hospital.
“While en route to the hospital, the victim’s mother directed Thompson to call 911 when she realized the victim had stopped breathing altogether,” according to the sheriff’s office.
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Three hours after arriving, Jacklyn passed away.
The girl’s injuries and ER visit were deemed strange by the staff at the AdventHealth Waterman hospital in Tavares, a tiny city about 40 miles northwest of Orlando. Sheriff’s deputies responded and started looking into the matter.
Thompson insisted that he had no idea “how or why” Jacklyn died, so reaffirming his innocence.
However, investigators discovered that Thompson had previously been romantically involved with the girl’s mother, who had ended their connection about a week prior to the toddler’s death.
Additionally, investigators allegedly discovered text conversations that expressed how furious he was with Jacklyn’s mother.
Following the sentencing, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods declared, “I’m incredibly proud of my Major Crimes detectives for their relentless work on this heartbreaking case. Their dedication helped secure justice for an innocent child.”
