A 24-year-old Maryland woman, Destiny Faith Chiveral, is facing murder charges following the death of her 5-week-old daughter. The incident occurred after a night of heavy drinking, according to the Maryland State Police. The infant was found lifeless at a residence in Rising Sun on December 4. The state police’s homicide unit has since taken over the investigation.
Court documents reveal that Chiveral, along with her two children, resided with her grandmother in Charleston, Maryland. On the evening of December 3, Chiveral was at another person’s home in Rising Sun for a social gathering. The following morning, Chiveral discovered her infant daughter, identified as K.C., unresponsive and immediately dialed 911.
Paramedics who arrived at the scene noted that the baby was cold and lifeless, with early signs of rigor mortis. The infant was pronounced dead at 9:17 a.m. Chiveral suggested to the police that the baby might have rolled between a couch cushion and the rear of the couch. However, an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be blunt force trauma, with evidence of bleeding to the back of the brain and other signs of trauma.
Investigators seized Chiveral’s phone and discovered a series of Snapchat videos that provided a timeline of the events leading up to the infant’s death. The videos, sent between 11:06 p.m. on December 3 and 1:34 a.m. on December 4, showed Chiveral in a state of intoxication while in the company of her baby at the Rising Sun residence. The baby’s cries could be heard in several of the videos.
In one of the videos, Chiveral is seen struggling with a baby gate while under the influence of alcohol. In another, she is heard commenting on the baby’s cries in the background. The last video she sent showed her hiccuping and making incoherent remarks.
A separate video taken at 1:34 a.m. showed the baby alive, with a framed picture on the wall noticeably askew. Chiveral claimed to the police that she had only consumed one drink and one shot of Smirnoff. However, a nearly empty bottle of vodka was found at the residence, which a witness claimed belonged to Chiveral and was almost full a few days prior.
Following the autopsy of her daughter, Chiveral was interviewed a second time by the police. She was informed that her daughter’s death was ruled a homicide and was told about the injuries found on her daughter. Chiveral denied causing any harm to her daughter and suggested that she might have accidentally kicked the baby while sleepwalking or sleeping on the couch. She also mentioned that her older child, a toddler, was rough with the baby, but the toddler was not present that night.
Chiveral was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, child abuse resulting in the death of a child under 13 years old, and child abuse resulting in severe bodily injury. She is currently being held without bond at the Cecil County Detention Center. Her next court appearance is scheduled for January 9, 2026.