Alexandra Coffey
Introduction
Alexandra Coffey, a former employee of the Creative Beginnings day care in Lenoir, North Carolina, was indicted by a grand jury on May 4, 2026 for second-degree murder in the death of 16-month-old Madolyn “Maddy” Mitchell, who died at the facility on May 19, 2025. Coffey had already been charged with involuntary manslaughter two days after the toddler’s death; the new indictment is an upgraded murder charge. She remains presumed innocent: the allegations come from charging documents and a civil lawsuit, and no trial has occurred.
Background Information
Maddy Mitchell was in Coffey’s care at Creative Beginnings of Lenoir, on Morganton Boulevard Southwest, on what reporting describes as her first day at the day care. Around 2:45 p.m. on May 19, 2025, police were called after the 16-month-old went into cardiac arrest; first responders found her unresponsive and began life-saving measures before rushing her to Caldwell UNC Health Care, where she was pronounced dead despite continued resuscitation efforts. Coffey was an employee of the center at the time.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Charged, not convicted. Coffey faces a second-degree murder indictment; the allegations are unproven, she has not been tried, and she is presumed innocent.
Two days after Maddy’s death, on May 21, 2025, Coffey was charged with involuntary manslaughter and issued a $500,000 secured bond. That same day, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services suspended the day care’s license on an emergency basis, with the suspension order citing findings “that the public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action.” The business subsequently closed permanently.
In March 2026, Maddy’s mother filed a civil lawsuit against Coffey. The suit alleges Coffey laid on top of the toddler when she wouldn’t take a nap, that the child’s leg kicked for several minutes and then stopped, and that Coffey did not check on her for three hours. WBTV’s account of the lawsuit states Coffey “placed the toddler face down on a sleeping mat.” On May 4, 2026, a grand jury returned the second-degree murder indictment.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The toddler’s death and the day care’s emergency closure rippled through the Lenoir community in the Caldwell County foothills; the license suspension put Creative Beginnings out of business within days, permanently. The 2026 murder indictment — a year after the initial manslaughter charge — signified that prosecutors believed the evidence supported proving malice, the dividing line between the two charges. The parents’ lawsuit keeps the civil side of the case active alongside the criminal one.
Current Status
Coffey is charged with second-degree murder by indictment and, separately, faces the earlier involuntary manslaughter charge from 2025, with the civil suit by Maddy’s mother pending. No trial date appears in the fetched coverage, and no statement from Coffey or a defense attorney is reported.
Impact on Their Career/Life
Whatever the courts decide, the world Coffey worked in is gone: the day care where she was employed was shut down by emergency order and closed permanently, a 16-month-old is dead, and the family’s lawsuit and the murder indictment keep the case alive in Caldwell County courtrooms. For North Carolina’s child-care regulator, the case became part of the record used to justify emergency suspension powers — the license died with the child, and the criminal case now asks a jury to decide what happened on the mat.