Woman accused of toddler’s death returns to Humboldt County jail

Nichole Ann Thorpe is back in the Humboldt County Correctional Facility, where the long-running case tied to a toddler’s death can now move forward in local court. Thorpe, 32, was booked June 5 after being extradited from Indiana, ending a cross-country search that began after Eureka police issued an arrest warrant in April.

The case centers on CarmenEve Faith Robinson, the child investigators say was about 19 months old when she died in March 2022. Law enforcement said human remains were found in a remote area near Blue Lake on Dec. 4, 2023, and DNA testing later confirmed the remains belonged to the missing child. Prosecutors allege Thorpe murdered her daughter, then concealed the death for years.

Police said the investigation led to an arrest warrant for Thorpe on April 9, 2026, after extensive work by Eureka detectives. Thorpe was arrested April 29 in Redkey, Indiana, where authorities said she had been living in the area. Eureka police worked with the U.S. Marshals Service and law enforcement in Indiana, including Redkey Police Department officers, Jay County sheriff’s deputies, Portland Police Department officers, and Town Marshal Alex Heath, to locate her.

Prosecutors have tied the case to homicide, child endangerment, and welfare fraud charges. One report said the alleged welfare fraud totaled $18,636.30, with prosecutors believing benefits were fraudulently collected for the dead child for about two years. The charges add a financial allegation to an already severe criminal case and give Humboldt County prosecutors a homicide matter with deep local impact.

Blue Lake and the surrounding county have followed the case closely because of the age of the child, the length of the delay, and the discovery of remains not far from the small community. With Thorpe now in Humboldt County custody, the case returns to the jurisdiction where investigators first pieced together what happened and where the next steps will unfold in open court.