THOMPSON FOUND GUILTY OF TODDLER’S MURDER
Marion County, FL – Yesterday evening, jurors delivered their verdict in the 2022 murder case of 2-year-old Jacklyn Schwingel. After a nearly two-hour deliberation, jurors found 27-year-old Travis Ray Thompson guilty of First Degree Murder. Following the verdict, Judge Barbara Kissner sentenced Thompson to Life in prison.
“This monster stole the life of an innocent child, and today, the justice system made sure he will never walk free again. Life in prison is too good for this kind of evil,” said Bill Gladson, State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial
Circuit.
Back on May 3, 2022, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) received a report of child abuse from Advent Health Waterman in Tavares, Florida, regarding a toddler being transported to the Emergency Room in critical condition. After medical personnel attempted life-saving measures, the 2-year-old toddler, later identified as Jacklyn Schwingel, was pronounced deceased.
The MCSO’s Major Crimes unit responded to the hospital and began their investigation into the child’s death. While speaking with the mother of the child, Detective King learned that the child’s mother had left the victim in
the care of Thompson earlier that morning to go to work. Twenty-five minutes after leaving, the mother received a phone call from Thompson, indicating something was wrong with the child, as she was unresponsive.
The mother further advised that when she arrived, Jacklyn was lifeless, with a shallow pulse and a distended abdomen. Both the mother and Thompson then got into a vehicle to take the child to a nearby hospital when the mother stated the child had stopped breathing. At that time, the mother instructed Thompson to contact 9-1-1, with emergency medical services personnel meeting the pair
at a nearby business to transport the child for medical treatment.
The medical team at the hospital suspected the child had suffered internal bleeding and reported potential child abuse to the MCSO and the Department of Children and Families. When detectives interviewed Thompson, he claimed that he and the victim were in separate rooms when he heard a loud noise and then located the victim unresponsive and not breathing. Despite being the only person left with the victim, Thompson claimed he did not know how the victim became injured.
After all testing was completed, on September 1, 2022, the Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death was traumatic injuries to the victim’s torso with a severing of her spine and internal bleeding behind her abdomen. Based on the severity and nature of the break, it was determined that Thompson
applied significant, gradual force to the victim’s upper and lower body and bent her backward beyond her natural range of motion until her back broke.
Thompson was subsequently arrested and charged.
