Nearly eight years after the tragic deaths of two adopted toddlers, authorities have now charged both parents in the case—one a civilian adoptive mother, the other a Fort Bragg warrant officer—with multiple counts of child abuse and murder.
On Saturday, Danielle Marie Kennedy (Rivera), 36, was extradited from Tempe, Arizona to Harnett County, North Carolina. She faces four felony indictments: two counts of negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury and two counts of intentional child abuse causing serious injury related to the deaths of her adopted children, 3-year-old Michael and 2-year-old Olivia, in late 2017 and early 2018.
Kennedy is currently being held without bond at the Harnett County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in court on June 23.
Her arrest follows the indictment of her ex-husband, Chief Warrant Officer 1 Anthony S. Rivera, 35, who was arrested on May 21 and charged with two counts each of first-degree murder, intentional child abuse, and negligent child abuse. Rivera was booked into the same detention facility and is awaiting trial in civilian court.
Two Toddlers Dead Months Apart
The couple adopted Michael and Olivia in April 2017, but within nine months, both children were dead. Michael died on November 18, 2017, after reportedly waking from a nap “pale, staring off and moaning.” Olivia died just 61 days later, found unresponsive in her crib on January 14, 2018.
Despite the time gap between the deaths, the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that both children died from blunt force trauma, with nearly identical injuries: spinal damage, contusions, facial bruises, and evidence of healing fractures.
Initial Investigations Failed to Deliver Justice
At the time of the children’s deaths, the couple was questioned but not charged. Kennedy’s accounts reportedly conflicted with the autopsy findings, but the case stalled. The Harnett County Sheriff’s Office opened investigations, yet no indictments followed.
In 2021, the U.S. Army initiated court-martial proceedings against Rivera, but the military judge dismissed the case after identifying conflicts of interest among the prosecution team. Although charges were withdrawn, the Army referred the matter back to civilian authorities.
In 2023, following a push from the Army, Harnett County District Attorney Suzanne Matthews reviewed the case and secured indictments against both Rivera and Kennedy through a grand jury.
A Pattern of Abuse and Systemic Failures
Autopsy reports and investigative records obtained by ABC11’s I-Team revealed disturbing patterns: identical injuries on both children, spinal fractures, facial bruises, and signs of prolonged abuse.
Beyond the criminal charges, the case has sparked outrage among child welfare advocates who point to systemic failures across the North Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS). DSS was reportedly involved after Michael’s death but did not initiate a child fatality review, a process mandated when a child under agency supervision dies.
Following public scrutiny from the ABC11 special report “Deadly Adoptions”, DSS confirmed that they are now retrospectively reviewing both fatalities.
Military and Civilian Justice Collide
In 2021, Rivera was a warrant officer with D Company, 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. Despite the serious nature of the charges, Rivera was never placed in pre-trial confinement during the Army’s investigation. Division officials argued that such confinement is only used when a soldier is considered a flight risk.
In addition to the child abuse allegations, Rivera was investigated for sexual assault in 2019 following a complaint from a former romantic partner. The Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) found probable cause to believe Rivera committed sexual assault using coercion, although no charges have yet been filed, according to an Army Times report from 2021.
What’s Next
Danielle Kennedy will make her first court appearance in Harnett County on June 23. Anthony Rivera remains in custody and is also expected to face trial in state court. The military has not ruled out additional charges.
As this case moves forward, it raises unsettling questions—not just about the actions of two adoptive parents—but about the many layers of missed warnings, bureaucratic failures, and the human cost of systemic inaction.
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