Sanford mother charged with murder of 2-year-old child

Today, Sanford police charged a mother of four with the murder of her 2-year-old child whose remains were found in Putnam County, earlier this month.

Rachel Fryer, 32, is accused of murdering her son, Tariji Gordon, 2, whose body was recovered from a shallow grave in Crescent City on February 11. Before the toddler’s remains were found, Fryer was arrested on aggravated child abuse charges and booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility.

On Wednesday, police made a probable cause arrest on Fryer for homicide while engaged in certain felony offenses, aggravated abuse, tampering with evidence and mishandling of dead human remains. A suitcase was found near Tariji’s remains which police believe was used to transport the boy’s body to Crescent City.

According to Fryer’s arrest report, the Medical Examiner ruled that Tariji “died from blunt force trauma to the head resulting in a large bleed on the right side of the brain.”  The Medical Examiner also found “multiple injuries on the child’s body in various stages of healing to include, bite marks that have been linked to Fryer.”

See Rachel Fryer’s Arrest Report HERE.

Based on new information, investigators have also re-opened the case related to the death of another of Fryer’s children, Tavontae Gordon, who died in 2011.

Fryer remains incarcerated at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility.