Jennifer Travinski seen being escorted from the Luzerne County Courthouse on Thursday. Ed Lewis | Times Leader
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WILKES-BARRE — A Luzerne County jury Thursday agreed with prosecutors that Jennifer Travinski poisoned her 16-day-old daughter, Ayra, to death by giving her breast milk contaminated with fentanyl.
Jennifer Travinski, 46, of Highmark Drive, Larksville, could face up to 40 years in prison when she is sentenced in February.
The jury deliberated for 56 minutes before announcing their verdict finding Jennifer Travinski guilty on charges of third-degree murder, aggravated assault, child endangerment and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance following a four day trial before Judge David W. Lupas.
First Assistant District Attorney Anthony Ross and Assistant District Attorney Carly Levandoski were pleased with the verdict.
The third-degree murder conviction is believed to be the first in Pennsylvania involving infants’ deaths involving breast milk tainted with illicit drugs, Ross and Levandoski said.
Pennsylvania State Police at Wilkes-Barre and county detectives charged Jennifer Travinski and her husband, Gary Edward Travinski, 41, in November 2022, after a year-long investigation into the death of Ayra on Nov. 28, 2021.
Ayra was found unresponsive in their Larksville home on Nov. 27, 2021, and transferred to Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest Hospital where she died the next day.
Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio told the jury Ayra died from adverse effects of fentanyl exposure complicating acute pneumonia.
Throughout the trial, Ross and Levandoski leaned on Jennifer Travinski’s behavior of continuing to use fentanyl and ignoring warnings from hospitals, including Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, when she gave birth to Ayra on Nov. 12, 2021, about the dangers of transferring the illicit drug to her newborn through breast milk.
“She loved her baby but she loved fentanyl more,” Levandoski said during her closing argument to the jury.
Jennifer Travinski’s attorney, Demetrius Fannick, attempted to shift blame upon Gary Travinski during the trial and again in his closing argument.
Fannick acknowledged fentanyl was found inside the Larksville home and suggested Gary Travinski with fentanyl on his fingers transferred residue to Arya and, as babies do, stick their fingers in their mouths.
For the jury to have convicted Jennifer Travinski of third-degree murder, Levandoski said they must agree Jennifer Travinski had malice knowing she was passing fentanyl through breast milk feedings.
On the same day Ayra passed, Jennifer Travinski voluntarily gave a blood test upon request by State Police Trooper Caroline Rayeski, a member of the Troop P criminal investigations unit, and county Detective Charles Balogh.
Levandoski said analysis of Jennifer Travinski’s blood showed 27 nanograms of fentanyl in her system.
“Finding the defendant of anything less than third-degree murder would be an injustice for baby Ayra,” Levandoski ended her closing argument.
Lupas scheduled Jennifer Travinski’s sentencing hearing on Feb. 8.
Gary Travinski entered a plea of no contest to a child endangerment charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 15.