This is an update to the death of a child that occurred in Lenoir County on Nov. 26, 2022.

On Friday, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office obtained arrest warrants for Brittany Evon Strickland, 32, and Michelle Evon Strickland, 50, both of Jackson County. Brittany was charged with felony child abuse and Michelle was charged with accessory after the fact following the death of a 6-year-old boy at 1841 Will Cunningham Road in Deep Run on Nov. 26. The child was Brittany’s nephew and Michelle’s grandson.

The Stricklands were arrested and placed under a secured bond by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office on Friday. Brittany has been transferred to Lenoir County Jail, where she remains, while Michelle posted her bond in Jackson County and is out of jail.

The child was taken to UNC Lenoir Health Care on Nov. 26 after being found unresponsive. LCSO deputies responded to the call, where the child was pronounced dead at the hospital after he tested positive for the presence of controlled substances.

The family of the victim was visiting Lenoir County from Whittier in Jackson County for the Thanksgiving holiday. The father of the boy, Glenn Hershel Strickland, was arrested and charged with second degree murder and three counts of felony child abuse; he was arrested by deputies with the JCSO on Dec. 1 and transferred to the Lenoir County Jail on Dec. 2, where he was placed under a secured bond. In reference to this case, he is currently serving an active sentence in the N.C. Department of Correction for involuntary manslaughter.