Investigators have charged Charlene Rea O’Connell, 32, with Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child and Child Neglect with Great Bodily Harm. She is being held at the Brevard County Jail on no bond.
BREVARD COUNTY • WEST MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The West Melbourne Police Department initiated a death investigation in mid-May after 2-year-old Jonnie Jordan was brought to Holmes Regional Medical Center in an unresponsive state, according to West Melbourne Police Department Deputy Chief Richard Cordeau.
“The toddler was brought to the hospital by her father, 35-year-old Jerome Jordan, and his sister just after 6 a.m. on the morning of May 18, and the hospital staff pronounced Jonnie deceased,” according to Deputy Chief Cordeau.
Early on, investigators believed this may have been an overdose based on Jerome Jordan initially urging medical staff to provide his daughter with Narcan.
The investigation revealed Jonnie Jordan was transported to the hospital from 4625 Explorer Drive in West Melbourne.
Investigators have charged Jerome Jonathon Jordan, 35, with Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child and Child Neglect with Great Bodily Harm. He is being held at the Brevard County Jail on no bond.
Investigators learned that on the evening of May 17, 2026, Jonnie and Jerome Jordan were at the home of Charlene O’Connell, who resides on Malibu Circle NE in Palm Bay.
O’Connell is the mother of two of Jerome Jordan’s other children.
While at O’Connell’s residence, Jonnie Jordan gained access to Kratom pills that belonged to Jerome Jordan and Charlene O’Connell and ingested as much as two and a half pills.
“Both adults were aware she ingested the substance and witnessed her lips go blue before suffering a seizure and breathing abnormally,” said Deputy Chief Cordeau.
Neither of the two called 911 or sought medical attention for Jonnie.
“Instead, Jerome Jordan brought Jonnie back to his sister’s apartment on Explorer Drive and put her to bed,” said Deputy Chief Cordeau.
“When he woke up, that is when he brought her lifeless body to the hospital.”
The Brevard County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Jonnie Jordan and determined her cause of death to be acute mitragynine intoxication.
Mitragynine is a substance found in Kratom.
Kratom is used for its stimulant, analgesic, and opioid-like effects, and although sold over the counter in various legal forms, some synthetic blends can sometimes contain illegal substances such as 7-OH.
Investigators have charged Jerome Jonathon Jordan, 35, and Charlene Rea O’Connell, 32, with Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child and Child Neglect with Great Bodily Harm.
Both are being held at the Brevard County Jail on no bond.
