In May 2022, two-year-old Jacklyn Schwingel died from severe internal injuries while in the care of her mother’s ex-boyfriend, Travis Ray Thompson. Medical staff at AdventHealth Waterman in Florida reported suspected child abuse after Jacklyn arrived with critical injuries and was later pronounced dead.

Authorities learned that Jacklyn’s mother had left her in Travis’s care shortly after their breakup. Just 25 minutes later, he called saying Jacklyn was unresponsive. She rushed home to find her daughter “lifeless” with a “distended abdomen.”

Both adults drove Jacklyn to a nearby business, where emergency responders tried to revive her. Doctors found signs of internal bleeding and notified law enforcement.

Travis told investigators he heard a loud noise and found Jacklyn unresponsive but claimed he didn’t know how she was injured. However, the Medical Examiner’s Office later revealed: “The cause of death was traumatic injuries to the victim’s torso with a severing of her spine and internal bleeding.”

Travis Ray Thompson has since been convicted of Jacklyn’s murder and sentenced, bringing some justice for the young girl’s tragic and brutal death.