REMEMBERING MERCADIEZ
Mercadiez Kohlinda Reed was just 19 months old when her life ended on May 11, 2013, in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Born on September 14, 2011, Mercadiez was a little girl whose childhood had barely begun. She should have been learning new words, exploring the world around her, and experiencing the many milestones of growing up.
Instead, Mercadiez drowned in the swimming pool behind her family's home.
Her death drew particular attention because her mother, Amanda Gayle Reed, had previously been convicted of involuntary manslaughter following the drowning of another 19 month old girl, Sadie Gates, who had been in her care.
Although Amanda was initially convicted of two misdemeanor offenses in connection with Mercadiez's death, those convictions were overturned by the North Carolina Court of Appeals in 2016.
Mercadiez's Story
On May 11, 2013, Mercadiez was at home with her parents, Amanda and William Reed, and other children at their residence on Forest Grove Avenue in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
The family had an outdoor swimming pool approximately four feet deep.
According to testimony presented during the criminal proceedings, Mercadiez had been playing on a side porch with her older sister and other children.
Amanda Reed went inside to use the bathroom.
She later told investigators that she had been away for approximately five to ten minutes.
William Reed, Mercadiez's father, was also at home.
During the trial, William testified that Amanda had asked him to watch the children before going to the bathroom and that he had agreed.
He explained that he briefly attended to other children inside the house, leaving Mercadiez without his direct supervision.
During that time, Mercadiez wandered away from the porch.
When Amanda returned, she noticed that Mercadiez was missing.
The adults searched the house and yard.
They discovered her in the backyard swimming pool.
Mercadiez was pulled from the water, and a neighbor attempted CPR.
Despite efforts to save her, she died from drowning.
She was only 19 months old.
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding her death, including how she had gained access to the pool and who had been responsible for supervising her.
The investigation also revealed that Amanda Reed had previously been involved in another child's drowning.
On September 22, 2010, Sadie Lavina Gates, who was also 19 months old, wandered away while Amanda was babysitting her.
Sadie reached a rain swollen creek near Amanda's home and drowned.
Amanda was subsequently convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Sadie's death.
She was still on probation for that conviction when Mercadiez drowned in May 2013.
The deaths of two little girls of the same age, both while in Amanda's care, became a central issue during the investigation and prosecution.
Warning Signs and System Failures
Mercadiez's death raised concerns about the supervision of very young children around accessible bodies of water.
The family swimming pool was approximately four feet deep and could be reached after Mercadiez left the house through an unsecured door.
At 19 months old, she could not recognize the danger or protect herself from drowning.
Investigators also learned about an incident approximately one month before her death.
A neighbor reported seeing two young children near the street without an adult immediately present.
The neighbor stopped and approached the residence because of concerns about their safety.
That account became part of the evidence discussed during the criminal proceedings.
The earlier drowning of Sadie Gates was another significant concern.
Amanda had already faced criminal consequences after a child in her care wandered outside and drowned.
Prosecutors argued that the previous tragedy should have made her particularly aware of the dangers of inadequate supervision.
However, the appellate court later determined that the evidence did not establish that Amanda had failed to arrange adult supervision before stepping away on the day Mercadiez died.
The court also found that prosecutors had improperly emphasized Sadie's death during the trial.
The available records do not establish that child protective services received and ignored a specific report of neglect involving Mercadiez before her death.
Her case remains a heartbreaking example of how quickly a toddler can reach dangerous water when effective supervision and physical barriers are absent.
JUSTICE FOR MERCADIEZ
Following Mercadiez's death, Amanda Gayle Reed was prosecuted in Onslow County, North Carolina.
She faced charges of involuntary manslaughter, misdemeanor child abuse, and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Prosecutors argued that Amanda had failed to provide adequate supervision and emphasized her previous conviction involving Sadie Gates.
In October 2014, a jury found Amanda not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
However, she was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
She received a sentence of 75 days in jail.
Amanda appealed those convictions.
On August 16, 2016, the North Carolina Court of Appeals issued its decision.
The court examined the evidence concerning the supervision of Mercadiez immediately before the drowning.
William Reed had testified that Amanda asked him to watch the children while she used the bathroom and that he agreed.
The appellate court determined that the prosecution had not presented sufficient evidence establishing that Amanda committed the conduct required for the misdemeanor child abuse conviction.
The court also found insufficient evidence to support the contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile conviction.
Additionally, the majority concluded that prosecutors had improperly used the earlier death of Sadie Gates to suggest that Amanda was responsible for Mercadiez's death because of her past conduct.
The court vacated both convictions.
Amanda Gayle Reed
Relationship to Mercadiez: Mother
Charge(s): Involuntary manslaughter; Misdemeanor child abuse; Contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile
Outcome: Acquitted of involuntary manslaughter; remaining convictions vacated by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on August 16, 2016
Sentence: Original 75 day jail sentence overturned
Amanda's earlier involuntary manslaughter conviction involving Sadie Gates was a separate criminal case and was not overturned by the appellate decision concerning Mercadiez.
FOREVER REMEMBERED
Mercadiez Kohlinda Reed was only 19 months old.
She was at an age when every day should have brought new discoveries.
She should have been learning words, playing with her siblings, celebrating birthdays, and enjoying the love and protection of her family.
Instead, her life ended in a backyard swimming pool.
Her death became part of a complicated legal case involving the earlier drowning of another child.
But Mercadiez deserves to be remembered as an individual, not simply as the second child whose drowning led to criminal proceedings involving the same adult.
She was a daughter.
She was a sister.
She was a little girl whose life mattered.
The public court records focus primarily on the circumstances of her death and the legal questions surrounding her mother's prosecution.
They tell us little about Mercadiez's favorite toys, the sounds of her laughter, or the small moments her family treasured.
Those missing details do not make her life any less important.
Mercadiez deserved to celebrate her second birthday.
She deserved the opportunity to attend school, make friends, discover her interests, and grow into the person she might have become.
Her story reminds us of the importance of protecting young children around water and ensuring that adult supervision is clear and continuous.
No toddler should have to recognize dangers that adults are responsible for preventing.
Mercadiez's life was brief, but it was meaningful.
She deserves to be remembered with compassion, dignity, and love.
Abuse Angels remembers Mercadiez Kohlinda Reed.
Remembered. Honored. Never Forgotten.
