Lawerence Perryman, a 76-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., has been arrested and charged with first-degree cruelty to children and first-degree felony murder in connection with the death of a 17-month-old child. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Perryman appeared before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Dorsey Jones on January 23, 2026. Judge Jones determined there was probable cause for the charges and ordered Perryman held without bond until a preliminary hearing scheduled for February 2, 2026, before Judge Neal Kravitz.
According to court documents, Perryman called 911 on March 12, 2025, reporting an unconscious child. A post-mortem examination found that the child died from “Combined Toxic Effects of Diphenhydramine and Methadone.”
Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department joined in announcing the charges. The Metropolitan Police Department is conducting the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Emma McArthur is prosecuting the case.
“These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” according to the press release.
