WINDSOR — Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin announced Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, that 28-year-old Rajasaffiyya “Raja” Drain has been arrested in Connecticut and charged with murder in connection with the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Jamie Drain.
Jamie died on December 2, 2024, after first responders were dispatched to a residence on Jack Branch Road in Windsor for reports of an unresponsive child. Emergency services and deputies performed CPR and took the child to a local hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.
State Intervention in Child Welfare Services
Following Jamie’s death, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services initiated a review of Bertie County’s child welfare services in December 2024.
On August 15, 2025, the state temporarily assumed leadership of child welfare services at the Bertie County Department of Social Services, marking the second time the state has taken control of the county’s child protective services operations. The state had previously taken over Bertie County’s child welfare services in 2022 due to major concerns, with that intervention lasting approximately two years.
The Missing Piece
What followed was an investigation that would test the patience of both law enforcement and the community. Ruffin’s team faced a challenge that many complex cases encounter — they were missing a crucial piece of evidence.
“There are some cases where we have everything that we need,” the sheriff explained to reporters. “There are some cases that we don’t have anything at all. And then there are some cases that we are missing just a piece of the puzzle. And this case was one of those cases we were missing just a piece of that puzzle.”
The missing piece was critical because, as Ruffin emphasized repeatedly, they would get only one chance to make their case.
For months, the community watched and waited. Some grew impatient, wondering why no arrest had been made. Ruffin understood their frustration but knew that rushing the process could doom their chances of conviction. His investigators continued working behind the scenes, following up with medical professionals, reviewing evidence, and conducting additional interviews.
The breakthrough came through a follow-up interview with medical professionals involved in the autopsy. This final piece of the puzzle — details that Ruffin couldn’t share publicly due to the sensitive nature of the case — provided the clarity prosecutors needed to move forward.
Investigation Findings
According to Ruffin, Rajasaffiyya Drain was the only adult present at the residence when the incident occurred. She initially told deputies she was cooking when Jamie began foaming at the mouth and shaking. Drain reported attempting to give the child water before calling 911.
Drain suggested to investigators that the child may have been dehydrated and mentioned that Jamie had fallen down stairs around Thanksgiving 2024.
However, the autopsy revealed Jamie died from blunt force trauma to the head. The medical examiner’s report documented extensive head trauma with scalp contusions, face contusions, and hemispheric acute subdural hemorrhage with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Medical professionals advised investigators that the injuries could not have been inflicted by another child and had to be caused by an adult, according to Ruffin.
Ruffin, who had four children of his own, said the case struck particularly close to home. He knew Jamie’s family personally, which made the investigation both more personal and more challenging.
Grand Jury Indictment and Arrest
On Sept. 22, 2025, a Bertie County grand jury returned a true bill of indictment charging Drain with murder and felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.
That same evening at approximately 9:58 PM, Wethersfield, Connecticut, police called Ruffin saying they arrested Drain in response to a domestic incident call around 6:20 PM earlier that day. According to authorities, Drain had been living with family members in Wethersfield.
Drain was initially held on $1 million bond, which was doubled to $2 million when she appeared before a judge in New Britain on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Background and Extradition Process
Records indicate Jamie Drain was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and her mother had a Hartford address. Drain will be extradited to North Carolina to face the charges.
Ruffin acknowledged the lengthy investigation process during the press conference, stating his team had been missing a crucial piece of evidence that was obtained through follow-up interviews with medical professionals involved in the autopsy.
Family Statement
Jamie’s father, Dontay Valentine, spoke to media about the arrest.
“Just a beautiful baby that went by an evil person so soon. That’s just evil. Nothing a 2-year-old can do, nothing my child could do, to make me beat them to the point where they die,” Valentine said.
Valentine added: “I’m just glad my baby going to get justice. It’s been a long road for my family. I didn’t think I’d make this far. It’s hard, but we’ll get through it.”
Investigation Team
Ruffin thanked several agencies for their work on the case, including Bertie County Emergency Services, Bertie County Communications, the district attorney’s office, and the Wethersfield Police Department.
The investigation remains ongoing. Drain is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.