Annjalee Nuñez

A Pennsylvania woman charged in the fentanyl death of her 2-year-old daughter is now in custody, authorities announced on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Annjalee Nichole Nunez, 27, of Carlisle, turned herself in to Mechanicsburg Police and was preliminarily arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Christopher Delozier, according to Cumberland County court records. She was committed to Cumberland County Prison without bail, pending a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Jonathan Birbeck.

Nunez is charged with Felony Murder of the Third Degree, Felony Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Felony Involuntary Manslaughter, the criminal complaint shows.

The criminal charges stem from the Jan. 10, 2023, death of her daughter, Ivory Rayne Nunez, who died from “acute fentanyl toxicity,” according to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Cumberland County Detective Gordon Goodrow.

Officials noted that Nunez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

A Toddler Found “Cold And Stiff”

Police and EMS were called to Nunez’s Carlisle apartment at 5:12 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, after Nunez told a 911 dispatcher she believed her daughter was dead. First responders found Ivory “cold and stiff to the touch” and showing signs of livor mortis, according to page 4 of the affidavit.

An autopsy conducted two days later by Forensic Pathologist Dr. Wayne Ross found fentanyl, norfentanyl, and 4-ANPP in Ivory’s chest blood. The manner of death was ruled homicide.

The exposure wasn’t a one-time incident, but investigators say.

On Feb. 28, 2023, forensic testing showed that 21 centimeters of Ivory’s hair tested positive for fentanyl, representing months of drug exposure before her death, the affidavit states.

Deleted Searches And A Digital Trail

Digital forensic analysis of Nunez’s phone revealed deleted Google searches from April 2023, including:

  • “ways that fentanyl gets in your system”
  • “where is the fennel can get in your system” (misspelling preserved)

These searches were found and then deleted, according to page 7 of the affidavit.

Forensic extraction also uncovered Facebook messages between Nunez and Harrisburg gun-violence advocate Tone Cook, known in the community as the “street mayor” at the time she contacted him in December 2022 and January 2023. Cook later ran for the real mayor of Harrisburg, announcing his run in February 2025. He lost the Democratic primary to Wanda Williams, who won her re-election campaign earlier this month.

Investigators documented the following messages:

  • Dec. 23, 2022: “It’s raw and I just let me know what you want” – from Cook to Nunez
  • Jan. 5, 2023: Nunez to Cook: “What’s a ball”
  • Jan. 5, 2023: Cook: “I’m out now”
  • Jan. 9, 2023: Nunez: “Ok”

The affidavit does not accuse Cook of wrongdoing; it simply documents the communications as part of the digital investigation.

A Father’s Grief And Anger

Ivory’s father, Gavin Smith, has spoken publicly in the years since her death.

On Nov. 10, 2025, following news of Nunez’s arrest, Smith wrote:

“Ivory is gone due to drugs and negligence while in the care of her mother… Ivory will get justice!!!!!! Daddy loves you Ivory!!!”

Earlier this year, he also reflected on her loss:

“Any child that passes due to parent neglect etc is a travesty… my baby Ivory deserved a long life… we can’t be silenced and act like nothing happened.”

In June 2025, Smith welcomed another daughter and wrote:

“I know your big sister Ivory loves you just as much as we do.”

A Child Remembered For Her Joy

Ivory’s obituary from Hooper Memorial Home describes a little girl who “was truly a blessing shared with us for such a short time” and who loved bubbles, silly putty, arts & crafts, dancing, trucks, nature walks, and chasing butterflies. She often asked, “you okay?” while giving hugs, the family wrote.

She was born Jan. 25, 2020, in Harrisburg to Nunez and Smith, and “touched everyone she met,” the obituary says.

A grief memorial page further described her as “precious, kind, generous, loving, caring, beautiful, intelligent, playful, and silly,” noting she knew her ABCs, numbers, colors, animals, and loved pretending to be different animals. She “made her mother so proud,” the page states, and “impacted so many people” in her short life.

Nunez briefly launched a GoFundMe after Ivory’s death seeking memorial expenses, which raised limited support.

Court Proceedings

Nunez remains in Cumberland County Prison without bail.

Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 21, before Judge Birbeck.