Sentenced: 2 Mamas Left 6 Kids Home Alone To Go To A Nightclub; 8MO Dies In Fire

[Sugar Cookie]

I know Gevona was spitting kids out like a pez dispenser but damn she looks like a man.

 

[Benighted]

Medicated their kids. Left a candle burning. Fucked off for the night. Yup, really parents of the year, those.

 

[ellielyn]

1st degree felony murder, wow. They're not messing around with this case.

I was wondering what had happened to these two. Hopefully they had time to build a good case before charging them.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Which one do you think got pregnant on the night the kids were left alone?

I am putting my money on Gevona.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A Nashville judge on Thursday handed down a 35-year sentence to one of the women charged in connection with a 2019 Antioch apartment fire that killed a 9-month old and injured several others.

Ryana Davenport accepted a plea on a lesser charge of second-degree murder and aggravated child neglect on May 30. Judge Steven Dozier sentenced Davenport near the top end of the range for that charge, which goes from 15 to 40 years.


In July 2019, Davenport and Gevona Smith, who was visiting from West Tennessee, left their young children — six in total, four of whom were Smith's — unsupervised at Davenport's apartment to go clubbing. They medicated the children with melatonin and lit candles to put them to sleep.

When they returned about four hours later, the apartment was in flames. Arson investigators later determined the fire was started by a lit candle left on a bedroom dresser.

Davenport's youngest child, 9-month old Jream Jenkins, suffered "catastrophic" burns and died in the fire, according to Metro Nashville Police Lt. Chris Bowden, the lead investigator in the case. Davenport's 2-year-old son suffered severe burns that required four-and-a-half months of hospitalization, six weeks of physical therapy, 17 surgeries and amputation of the toes on his right foot.

During her sentencing hearing, prosecutors played a video from the scene of the fire, in which they said Davenport can be heard screaming that a babysitter was present, showing she "had the presence of mind to promote a lie while standing in the middle of a tragedy," Dozier wrote in his order.

The lead investigator said Davenport initially repeated the lie to police and claimed a babysitter was in the apartment. Davenport offered police a phone number she said was the babysitter's but actually belonged to someone Davenport had told to lie, Bowden said.


Smith has said she believed a babysitter was coming to Davenport's apartment. Bowden testified in 2019 that as the two women left, Davenport waved to someone outside the apartment and said, "That’s who is watching the kids."

"The Court is profoundly disturbed at the reckless, selfish, and disastrous behavior exhibited by Defendant who purposefully drugged her children and left them unattended to go nightclubbing and drinking for several hours," Dozier wrote. "In her rush of self-involvement, Defendant not only failed to provide for the safety of the six young children in her apartment but exacerbated her neglect by leaving at least one candle burning in her presence. . .to catastrophic effect."

At her sentencing hearing on Sept. 5, Davenport testified, "I know what we did was wrong," adding she didn't know why she left the children alone, something her mother testified she had not done before.

"I'm not innocent at all," Davenport said from the stand. "But I ain't no murderer."

Davenport testified on her behalf that she suffers from severe depression and schizophrenia. Her mother testified that her daughter had mental health problems but had not been diagnosed before the fire.

Mother of baby killed in 2019 fire at unsupervised Nashville apartment sentenced to 35 years

The lead investigator testified Davenport lied to police by claiming a babysitter was in the apartment she left to go clubbing.

www.yahoo.com

Smith's case is still pending.

 

[DaveL]

Davenport offered police a phone number she said was the babysitter's but actually belonged to someone Davenport had told to lie

How was that supposed to work? "Listen, here's the plan: I'm going to tell them you're to blame for the death of an infant. You're cool with that, right?"

 

[Josh P]

How was that supposed to work? "Listen, here's the plan: I'm going to tell them you're to blame for the death of an infant. You're cool with that, right?"

You're assuming someone associated with this bunch would be smart enough to figure that out.

 

[Busy Bee]

If I were leaving that many minor children for a babysitter to care for I would want to talk to her! I would have a list with each child’s name and age, a short description of the child, allergies ect. I would want that persons number and them to have my number, with instructions to call me with any concerns or questions! Absolutely NO way am I just going to wave and leave!! They left a burning candle!! Were they trying to do away with them? The 6 year old child and the rest of them have been traumatized! In one of the videos the grandmother talks about her being a good mother! Well you don’t leave a 6 year old child with 5 younger children!! Call your mom , fiancé, family, don’t leave them alone!!

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Record Check Search Criteria: Smith, Gevona -- D.O.B.: 7/9/1993​

Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee - Criminal Court Clerk​

Date of Report: 9/28/2025 7:32:18 PM​

Disposition: Guilty - Lesser Charge Disposition Date:25-NOV-24

Convicted Offense: Facilitation of Child Neglect - Aggravated - Child 8 or less or disabled

Probation:

Type:Supervised Years:10 Months: Days:

Ryana Davenport and Genova Smith

Second Degree Murder - 35 Year Sentence

Aggravated Child Neglect (Under 6) - 32 Year Sentence

I wonder why there was such a discrepancy in the outcome of these two shitty moms.