Dad indicted in hot car death
The Grenada father who left his infant daughter in a hot car has been indicted for manslaughter.
Joshua Blunt, 25, was indicted on June 29 by a Grenada County grand jury, according to court documents provided by Blunt’s attorney, Carlos Moore.
Blunt left his daughter, 8-month-old Shania Caradine, in his vehicle when he went to work May 19. She died at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Coroner Jo Morman described the infant as "hyperthermic."
Blunt, in an interview with The Clarion-Ledger, previously described his daughter as “my everything.”
Moore said his client was “saddened” by the indictment.
“He never intended for anything tragic to happen to his daughter,” Moore said Tuesday night. “He simply forgot.”
Moore said he was “disappointed in the criminal justice system in Grenada” and referenced the case in Madison only eight days earlier where a mother left her daughter in her car. That child also died. The mother has not been arrested or charged.
“Here he stands, having been immediately arrested and quickly indicted on a culpable negligence manslaughter charge, so the million-dollar question is what is the big difference between the two cases?” Moore said. “For me, it seems to be two systems of justice in the state of Mississippi and across the country; one for Caucasians and one for African-Americans.”
Blunt is African-American. The mother in Madison is white.
Moore noted that the charge against his client was previously expected to be reduced to a misdemeanor, with a maximum $500 fine and one year in jail.
The manslaughter charge carries between two to 20 years in jail.
“I have often been accused of playing the race card and I’ve tried to turn every different scenario that this could be bit each time I am left with the strong conviction that this is nothing more than blatant racism," Moore said.
Blunt appeared in court late Tuesday afternoon where he pleaded not guilty. He received a $15,000 bond and is currently in the custody of the Grenada County Jail.
His court date is set for Aug. 18.
Contact Sarah Fowler at sfowler@gannett.com or 601-961-7303. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.