Parents accused of manslaughter after their toddler dies in cooking fire, NC cops say

An unattended cooking fire killed a toddler in the middle of the night, and the child’s parents now face involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the tragedy, according to investigators in North Carolina.

The fire erupted around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 26 at a home on Pegram Avenue in High Point, the High Point Police Department said in a March 13 news release.

“Firefighters located three victims — two adults and one toddler. The toddler, a 1-year-old girl, was pronounced dead at the hospital,” police said.

“The cause of the fire was unattended cooking. ... Following a thorough investigation, (Special Victims Unit) detectives gathered sufficient evidence to charge the toddler’s parents in connection to her death.”

Moussa S. Gory, 22, and Amya L. Ray, 18, each face one count of involuntary manslaughter, officials said.

It is standard for the department to investigate “unattended deaths, or deaths of people who were not under the care or supervision of a medical provider,” police said.

If the fatality involves a child, it is assigned to the Special Victims Unit, the department said.

This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 5:22 AM with the headline "Parents accused of manslaughter after their toddler dies in cooking fire, NC cops say."