Daycare worker accused of murder now faces additional abuse charges, police say

Published 9:10 pm Friday, April 5, 2024

An Alabama daycare worker who was charged last month with murder after an infant in her care died now faces additional charges, police said.

Demopolis police filed additional charges against daycare worker Versa Mae Simmons who is already facing murder charges following the death of a young child.

Demopolis Police Chief Rex Flowers released a statement that Simmons, 68, has been charged with four additional counts of aggravated child abuse as part of an ongoing investigation following the death of an infant at Tender Years Daycare.

Authorities have not yet identified the infant who was pronounced dead at the hospital after first responders received a call of an unresponsive child at the daycare on March 25.

Simmons was arrested and charged with murder on March 29 after police reviewed video footage and communicated with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences following the autopsy.

“I’ve heard [there were other incidents of abuse] but we have no evidence of that as of yet,” Flowers told The Demopolis Times. “We haven’t confirmed it, and we still have a lot of video we have to review.”

The investigation continues, but Flowers said no other details are being released at this time.