On September 20, 2023, the Ward County Sheriff's Department, First Response Ambulance Service Minot Rural Fire Department, Burlington Fire Department and the Burlington Police Department were dispatched to a NW Minot address for an unresponsive fifteen (15) month old child, who was later pronounced deceased at Trinity Hospital.
The child was at a residential daycare (Marked with Joy Daycare) at the time of their death. In the course of the investigation it was discovered that the daycare was unlicensed. The daycare owner, Joyell Marks Johnson, had her daycare license previously revoked by the State of North Dakota from an incident in 2020. Joyell Marks Johnson has subsequently been arrested for two counts operating a daycare after license revoked (NDCC 50-11.1-13.1), a class B misdemeanor. One count as a result of the September 20, 2023 incident and one additional count on September 25, 2023.
The investigation in the death of the child is ongoing.
