A Louisiana woman has been convicted over the death of her 2-year-old daughter, who died after being punched in the torso because she touched her mother's contact lenses.
Lanaya Cardwell, 28, was found guilty of attempted second-degree cruelty to a juvenile in the death of Nevaeh Allen. Cardwell and her boyfriend at the time, then-30-year-old Phillip Gardner, were both originally charged with second-degree murder.
Cardwell Became 'Angry' After the Child 'Picked Up' Her Contact Lenses
The incident took place on the morning of Sept. 24, 2021, when Neveah was in the care of Cardwell and Gardner at their Baton Rouge home. Per the arrest affidavit, the child "picked up" Cardwell's contact lenses, causing her to become "angry."
In a fit of rage, Cardwell "punched the victim in the torso with a closed fist, causing her to fall and forcefully strike her head on a cabinet," according to the affidavit. Cardwell then "forcefully grabbed the victim and took her to another room." The abuse took place in the presence of a now-14-year-old witness, the affidavit noted.
Cardwell and Gardner Filed False Missing Report After Finding the Child Unresponsive
Cardwell went to work, and the child is said to have complained to Gardner about stomach pains and would not eat. The man told police that he went to sleep and that when he woke up later that day, he found her unconscious, "lifeless and cold."
Cardwell and Gardner then filed a false missing person report. Cardwell claimed she left Nevaeh in Gardner's care while she went to work. She claimed Gardner later reported he could not locate the girl and told the media she had no idea where her daughter could be.
"I don't know what could have happened; I don't know what went wrong. I wish I would have stayed home from work," Cardwell said in a tearful interview with a reporter — as kids stood and played behind her. "This morning I woke up, me and the fam went to the store ... Nevaeh, the little girl, my little boy, and her daddy brought me to work, and that's the last time I seen my baby."
Gardner Admitted to Stuffing Child's Body in a Suitcase, Disposing it in a 'Makeshift Shallow Grave'
After finding Nevaeh unresponsive, Gardner reportedly said he tried to perform CPR — but instead of calling 911, he admitted to stuffing the child's body into a "small suitcase," leaving his cellphone at home, and driving to Mississippi with other children in the car.
Prosecutors said he made a "makeshift grave deep in the woods" and put the child there, according to The Advocate, which cited court documents. Prosecutors alleged that Nevaeh may have still been alive when Gardner put her inside the suitcase.
The Baton Rouge Police Department reported arriving at the couple's home on the 12600 block of La Belle Ave in response to the "missing" child. A search was launched for Nevaeh, and as it proceeded, one of her siblings said she was "in the forest," though no one knew what that meant at the time. Two days after her killing, on Sept. 26, 2021, the child's body was found in a "wooded area" in Hancock County, Mississippi.
Autopsy Revealed Injuries on Neveah's Body
An autopsy found bruises on Nevaeh's face and head, swelling to the brain and marks on her face "consistent with that of a handprint." Her legs and buttocks were also covered in bruised, and the coroner reportedly also noted injuries on Nevaeh's abdominal wall, "which were consistent with being punched in the abdomen."
Gardner was convicted of the child's murder and obstruction of justice in October 2025 and is now serving a life sentence in prison. Cardwell's charge was downgraded afterward, but she turned down a deal that would have given her 10 years or less in prison on a charge of cruelty to juveniles. She is now scheduled to be sentenced on May 12. She reportedly faces 20 years in prison.
