Police Charge Elderly Man For Causing The Death Of A Toddler
Sunday, January 25, 2026, 8:30 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
WASHINGTON, DC.- On Thursday, following a nearly year-long investigation, a 76-year-old Washington, D.C., man was taken into custody and charged in connection with causing the death of a 17-month-old child that occurred in early March 2025, inside a Southeast, D.C. home.
According to U.S. Assistant Attorney Emma McArthur and D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll, on Wednesday, March 1, 2025, just shortly after 7:00 a.m., members of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Seventh District responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting an unresponsive child inside a home located on the 2600 Block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Southeast, D.C.
Upon arrival, Responding Police Officers located a 17-month-old boy, unresponsive, inside the home. D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene, and despite life-saving efforts, the child was pronounced deceased at the scene.
During the ensuing investigation, and following a post-mortem examination and further toxicology results, Detectives determined that the 17-month-old boy tragically succumbed to the combined Toxic Effects of Diphenhydramine and Methadone, and that the actions of Lawrence Perryman, 76, of Southeast, D.C., caused the child’s death.
Accordingly, on Thursday, January 22, 2026, Perryman was taken into custody by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and formally charged with one count of first-degree Cruelty to Children; first-degree Murder; and Felony Murder.
On Friday, January 23, 2026, Perryman made his initial appearance in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and was ordered detained by Superior Court Magistrate Judge Dorsey Jones, pending future court proceedings.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
