MARLAND — Charles County Sheriff’s detectives are continuing their investigation into the death of Ji’Aire Donnell Lee, 3, who was found deceased last month at Wills Memorial Park in La Plata. On June 24, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore ruled the manner of death a homicide and the cause of death dehydration and hypothermia.
The investigation started on May 22, at 6:55 a.m., when officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and La Plata Town Police responded to the park upon being notified of a woman who had been pushing a toddler in a swing for an unusually long period of time.
When officers arrived, they found Ji’Aire’s mother pushing him in the swing but Ji’Aire was deceased. There were no obvious signs of trauma. Ji’Aire’s mother, 24, was transported to a hospital for an evaluation.
The investigation showed Ji’Aire and his mother arrived at the park on Wednesday, May 20 at about 11:15 a.m. Ji’Aire, who was alive, was placed in the swing where he stayed until he and his mother were discovered. Additional details are not available at this point and the case will be reviewed by the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS, texting CHARLES + the tip to CRIMES (274637) or submitting tips online at tipsubmit.com. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Learn more at the CCSO’s website.
