What caused death of 2-year-old who was found in Wichita field?

The coroner’s office was unable to determine exactly what killed 2-year-old Wichita toddler Jhornee Bland last month.

The cause and manner of her death is listed as “undetermined” in the girl’s autopsy report, which was filed in Sedgwick County District Court on June 17.

A toxicology screen, which tested the girl for a variety of substances including illicit and over-the-counter drugs and alcohol, came back negative, according to the report.

“The autopsy findings, including review of the circumstances of death, medical records, and toxicology results did not reveal a definitive cause of death,” said the report signed by Timothy Gorrill, deputy coroner and medical examiner for the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center.

Jhornee was found dead in a field in the 1900 block of North Hydraulic on May 9, a day after she was reporting missing by her mother. Just how she died remains a mystery.

Wichita police had hoped her toxicology results would reveal her cause of death after a preliminary examination of her body by the coroner’s office gave no hints.

Police have said Jhornee’s body showed no signs of trauma that suggested what happened to her.

“In light of the release of the final autopsy report issued by the Sedgwick County Coroner, the Wichita Police Department will continue to investigate the death of Jhornee Bland,” Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said in an e-mailed statement Friday afternoon: “When the investigation is complete, WPD investigators will present their findings to the Office of the District Attorney for a final charging determination.”

It was immediately unclear Friday when that will occur.

Jhornee had been in the care of a babysitter, 25-year-old Tyerria Miles, since May 4 and had been with other children at a birthday party at a local motel, where she slept, the night before she was reported missing. Investigators last month said they thought Jhornee died sometime between 1 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. May 8.

Police have said Miles put Jhornee’s body in her vehicle and placed her in the field at about 10 p.m. Sunday, prior to picking up Jhornee’s birth mother, who had called to check on her. Miles had told the birth mother that she had dropped Jhornee off at an acquaintance’s apartment near Oliver and 31st Street South, and the birth mother called 911, but it was later discovered that Miles’ story was false.

Police arrested Miles on suspicion of aggravated child endangerment on May 9 but she was later released without being charged with any crimes.

This story was originally published June 24, 2016 at 1:07 PM with the headline "What caused death of 2-year-old who was found in Wichita field?."