Man sentenced for fatally severing the spine of ex-girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter

MARION COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) -- A 27-year-old man has been convicted of fatally severing the spine of his ex-girlfriend’s child shortly after their breakup.

The Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office of Florida announced that a jury found Travis Thompson guilty on June 4 of first-degree murder in connection with the death of 2-year-old Jacklyn Schwingel. A judge sentenced Thompson to life in prison following the verdict.

On May 3, 2022, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of possible child abuse at AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares, Florida, after the victim had been transported to the emergency room in critical condition. Medical personnel performed lifesaving measures, but Schwingel died from her injuries.

The child’s mother reportedly left the victim in Thompson’s care that morning to go to work. According to WFLA-TV, she said she broke up with Thompson approximately a week prior, and he was upset over it.

Around 25 minutes after the victim’s mother left, Thompson allegedly called her and indicated that "something was wrong." Schwingel’s mother said she arrived and found her daughter "with a shallow pulse and a distended abdomen."

Schwingel reportedly stopped breathing while her mother and Thompson drove her to a nearby hospital. Prosecutors said the mother had Thompson call 911, and emergency medical personnel met them at a local business to transport Schwingel for medical treatment.

The medical team at the hospital determined Schwingel sustained internal bleeding from possible child abuse. According to the state attorney’s office, Thompson told detectives that he and toddler were in separate rooms, and he "heard a loud noise" before finding Schwingel unresponsive. Thompson initially said he didn’t know how the child suffered her injuries.

On Sept. 1, 2022, the Medical Examiner’s Office determined Schwingel died of traumatic injuries to her torso with a "severing of her spine and internal bleeding behind her abdomen." Prosecutors said, "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."

In a statement, State Attorney Bill Gladson said, "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."

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