Father Convicted of Murder After 2-Year-Old Died of Malnutrition While Man Was Passed Out Drunk

A Kansas father is expected to face a sentence of life in prison after his 2-year-old daughter died of malnutrition while he was passed out drunk.

The Topeka Capital Journal reports Jeffrey J. “James” Exon, 47, has been convicted of aggravated child endangerment, first-degree murder in the commission of a felony, reckless but unintentional second-degree murder, and failure by a parent to report the death of a child. 

Exon’s daughter Aurora was found dead at their Topeka home on Jan. 5, 2021 after Exon called 911 and claimed the girl had been “starving herself.” First responders discovered Aurora “unresponsive, cold to the touch, with an appearance that she had been dead for several days.” Police also found five empty liquor bottles in the home. 

Shawnee County Deputy District Attorney Bethany Lee told jurors last week that Aurora Exon died due to the neglect of her father, who was “intoxicated and passed out in his bed for days on end.” Aurora’s 6-year-old brother, who was 4 at the time of her death, confirmed the attorney’s comments while testifying, saying his dad “locked them in their rooms for several days without food while he ‘slept.’”

In an obituary for Aurora, loved ones said the little girl “will be remembered fondly by all who knew her and will leave a void in the hearts of many.”

“She loved to dance and had a smile that would light up a room and the hearts of those around her. She also loved cheese and peanut butter crackers,” the obituary said.

Jeffrey Exon is scheduled to be sentenced July 28.