Posted in: Crime

Vodka Mom Suicide: Woman Who Accidentally Smothered Baby Burns Herself After Nancy Grace Ridicule [Video]

Vodka mom kills herself after being hounded by Nancy Grace

“Vodka mom” flashed on the screen during a segment in which Nancy Grace ridiculed a mother accused of getting drunk and accidentally smothering her three-week-old son as the two slept next to each other. In what is being called a case of “cyberbullying for adults,” the woman was left distraught by the segment and killed herself.

The 29-year-old Cottage Grove, Minn., woman, Toni Medrano, died at Regions Hospital in St. Paul as a result of the self-immolation, the St. Paul Star Tribune reported. Police said she was despondent and suicidal and lit her body on fire in her mother’s backyard.

Medrano was charged with two counts of manslaughter in the death of Adrian Alexander Medrano, who died of asphyxia Nov. 22 after her mother reportedly got drunk and fell asleep on the couch with her son. The baby’s father came home to find them lying together, even though he had warned her against falling asleep with the baby, and she woke him in the morning shouting, “JJ, the baby is dead,” the Star Tribune reported.

She admitted to drinking a fifth of vodka before passing out and a blood test conducted by police showed he had a .11 percent blood alcohol content. Medrano had been seeking help for chemical dependency and parenting counseling,

One week after she was charged, CNN talk-show host Nancy Grace devoted a segment to ridiculing Medrano, calling her “vodka mom.” Grace held a fifth of vodka and poured nine glasses to show how much Medrano had to drink, theorizing that she had been sleeping on top of her child for hours.

“There was a long period of time that baby’s life could have been saved,” Grace said.

She also wondered aloud why Medrano had not been charged with first-degree murder, which would require a premeditated murder.

Medrano was distraught as she watched the show, her younger sister told the Star Tribune. The “vodka mom” insults left her distraught and unable to breathe, the sister said.

“She got depressed and said life wasn’t worth living. She said she couldn’t live with herself,” Maria Phillips said.

Her family blames Nancy Grace for bullying Medrano into killing herself. Her mother, Yvonne Hill, told Fox 9 News that Medrano had been trying to turn herself around after the tragic incident but the segment and “vodka mom” insults were just too much to bear.

“She was trying to build and get by and live with what happened,” Hill said. “When she saw that, it broke her spirit in the worst way.”

Her husband also decried the “vodka mom” insults, telling the St. Paul Pioneer Press, “It shows that cyberbullying happens to adults, too.”

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37 Responses to “Vodka Mom Suicide: Woman Who Accidentally Smothered Baby Burns Herself After Nancy Grace Ridicule [Video]”

  1. Kathie Salter

    Nancy Grace is a self-righteous, bullying bitch that OUGHT to be home taking care of her own 2 little children instead of acting all "holier-than-thou" like she's some kind of super mommy on TV.

  2. Brian McAllister

    Nancy Grace should be held accountable for what she did. How bout you loose a baby through your fault and then have it splashed all over the nation. But again the media wont have to bear the brunt of any of it. Its a bunch of BS.

  3. Brian McAllister


  4. Molly Handy McClintock

    This isn't the first time Nancy has driven someone to commit suicide! This woman had not been tried, convicted or sentenced for this crime. Granted, she should be charged with something but certainly NOT first degree murder. Nancy was a prosecutor and she damn well knows that to support the charge of murder first, you need PREMEDITATION. This woman does not belong on the air. HELLO NETWORK: WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO SHUT HER UP?

  5. Laura Hilton Eberline

    If life was fair, Nancy would be charged with something. That is just disgusting. I'm ashamed of myself for watching her during the Coleman trial. She's a pig.

  6. Molly Handy McClintock

    I gave her the benefit of the doubt for too long. She's a crappy journalist who never gives anyone else a chance to speak unless of course they agree with her. They need to silence her.

  7. Hellslinger Van

    Sticks and stones will break my bones,
    But names will never hurt me,
    You can thump me and bump me and hit me in the head,
    But all the words in the world won’t make me dead.
    America is great by our Freedom of talk.
    Don ‘t let the lib’s make speech take a walk.
    Nancy Grace your doing a great job.
    Keep up the good work, signed anonymous Bob.


  8. Joy McQueen

    There is alway a excuesd for killing your babies there is so many that get alway with it that they all think they can

  9. Carol Thompson

    NANCY NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OFF THE TUBE…she is nothing but a sensationalist that causes more harm than good…she uses her own children but claims she is against child exploitation? how many people have to die before this witch loses her job? and where are all the black people that are so up in arms about Trayvon..THIS girl is more of a victim..why don't you go after NANCY!

  10. Tonisha Notyour'averagechick West

    How is Nancy Grace to blame? People are ridiculed often on television. She's not the first. Even in death, her responsibilities are being redirected.

  11. Tonisha Notyour'averagechick West

    Really? You're making a comparison? Sorry but how can you compare someone being killed for defending himself with someone taking their own life because they were called out on making a stupid decision that caused the death of a defenseless child.

  12. Carol Thompson

    Tonisha Notyour'averagechick West …are you frigging kidding me?? funny how you can defend a drug using bus driver beating thieving thug but find fault in a woman who had problems and just couldnt take it anymore…guess you have to have someone post a pic of her when she was 12 and innocent to get some pity.

  13. Carol Thompson

    and Trayvon was NOT defending himself he was being a confrontational twerp like is parents knew he was, and as will be proven

  14. Carol Thompson

    she has a responsibility IF she was actually a news reporter to report the FACTS not her ideas of the facts the real proven facts but she doesnt she stabs her victims and turns the knife night after night, she is NOT a decent person let alone a responsible reporter..look up her qualitfications..she was fired from her job for misconduct and hasnt done anything right since.

  15. Tonisha Notyour'averagechick West

    Carol, we'll have to agree to disagree darling. Trayvon smoked marijuana and this lady drank herself into a stupor and killed a defenseless child. Big difference! Have a nice day. I won't go back and forth with you on this as this is my opinion. You talk about having accurate facts, yet you have none <3

  16. Linda Malley

    Why is she still on TV? Nancy does indeed need to be held accountable. She is a cyber bully and needs to be taken off the air. She also takes sides and acts as though she's the perfect mom, the perfect woman, she has all the right answers. Well She's not! She's all about the ratings and doesn't give a rat's behind about anyone but herself.

  17. Micah Carey

    First off, it's "Lose a baby" NOT "loose a baby" and secondly this woman Medrano had it coming and I pray that she died in agony for what she did! America needs to stop excusing people for everything and hold people accountable, that's why this country is a joke now!

  18. Micah Carey

    What about the child that died you fat buffoon? Well the person that needed to be held accountable finally did the right thing and treated herself to a well-deserved cookout! Nancy grace didn't kill her child, this bitch did!

  19. Micah Carey

    Carol Thompson, so what stupid? She did nothing wrong except call out a piece of genetic garbage, and I for one am glad this creature burned herself! Good effing riddance! We aren't talking about someone's "qualifications" we are talking about a murderer getting what she deserves! And nobody has to watch Nancy Grace so **** off!

  20. Micah Carey

    "Woman who had problems"?????? She killed her infant because of her stupidity! SHE IS NOT A VICTIM HERE YOU IMBECILE, the child is!

  21. Linda Malley

    Actually, we are talking about Nancy's qualifications here. YOU seem to be hell bent on defending Nancy, Nancy. You're just a Nancy troll.

  22. Carol Thompson

    Micha…why so angry? people like you need help..the first thing you start doing is name calling,…I hope that when you do something wrong that other people like you toast marshmellows over your stinking body…so YOU go eff YOURSELF trash.

  23. Carol Thompson

    stupid arse just replying to posts made in JULY…what a dumbass…maybe took her that long to figure out all the words.

  24. Chelsea Steffen

    nancy grace is a news reporter who should report the news.. not make up names for people. I agree the mother is at fault for smothering the baby, but nancy grace didn't have to make an entire show about vodka mom just to get it trending on twitter. I personally feel no one is thinking about the baby in this entire situation which is sad. nancy grace is all about ratings and sounding like the perfect news anchor, perfect mother, perfect perfect perfect. I really hope this family sues her and maybe she'll wake up and stop trying to impress everyone.

  25. Carol Thompson

    wow..Nancy might be after you next Micah…you have some deep psychological issues dont you, why so angry over Nancy…is she your mommy?? no?…then what, why get angry over a perfect stranger speaking their mind about the worst piece of crap on tv? if you dont like what "I" have to say maybe you should go and do the same as you suggested to me….I think you have some mental problems…maybe thats what you and Nancy have in common.

  26. Carol Thompson

    youre a very sick individual I hope that when you have children you dont ever make a mistake that results in the loss of the child and maybe Nancy might go after you until you take your own life…hmm…theres an idea.

  27. Lydia Louise Hulette

    Personally, I can't stomach Nancy Grace, everything about her makes my skin crawl. That being said, I don't blame her for that girls death. That girl who brought a child into this world in the midst of her messy life and before she turned her life around, she took the life of her child. I hold the father at fault also because he knew she shouldn't be sleeping with the baby and told her so… He should have taken the baby from her.
    The girl had a drug and alcohol problem and more than likely didn't really want to clean herself up.
    What a messy.

  28. Spencer Vidal

    Take nancy to the cleaners She has just as much responsability as the Mother.. But this dosent suprise me coming fron Fox….. Very irresponsable of fox..

  29. Joetta Days

    I'm no Nancy Grace fan but this does not rise to the degree of cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is when an idividual is bullied by means of Facebook, myspace or some other form of social media not television, also even though a segment was devoted to ""Vodka Mom"" cyber bullying is usually an ongoing process that spans a series of negative statements, and allegations that are egregious and untrue. Unfortunately in this case the woman did drink too much and she did kill her child while under the influence of alcohol which more than likely would have never occured had she been sober. "Vodka Moms"family should stop passing the buck of her suicide on others and look to the real source which is the dangers of alcohol( which is a depressant and tends to cause a higher incident of suicidal idealogies) and the only safe amount of alcohol for an alcoholic is NO ALCOHOL.