Pregnant mom of toddler girl who died after her father tossed her from a cliff says suspect left her for dead

A woman who says she is the mother of a toddler girl who died in a horrific murder this week has spoken out after a devastating domestic violence incident that also left the adult hospitalized.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Adam Slater of Palm Desert, California, was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly stabbed a pregnant woman and then tossed their 1-year-old daughter over a cliff after their vehicle overturned.

A woman identifying herself as Ashley Grome Slater, the girl’s mother, has said on social media that her daughter’s name is Madalyn Payton Slater, and has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the toddler girl’s funeral.

From the GoFundMe campaign page:

“I am the mother of Madalyn Payton Slater, the one-year-old baby girl who was killed on May 6, 2020 by her father when he drove off of Highway 74 after beating and stabbing me, then leaving me to die in the Southwest Community Church parking lot. My daughter was the absolute love of my life and she meant everything and more to me. Everything I did and everything I will do for the rest of my life is for her. She was beautiful and her smile was contagious, even after a bad day, she always cheered me up. She was taken from this world way too soon.”

How do you protect your children from predators? Join Nancy Grace and a team of world-class experts for the online course ‘Justice Nation: Crime Stops Here’.

According to multiple local reports, the suspect first stabbed the girl’s mother, who is reportedly six months pregnant, in a parking lot in Indian Wells, and deputies spotted the suspect about half an hour later after his car had overturned on Highway 74, just south of Vista Point. The suspect allegedly stabbed a bystander who rushed to help, pulling the toddler from the passenger seat of the car after it overturned. The father then allegedly grabbed the girl from that man and threw her over a cliff into a ravine.

It is unclear if or when the adult female victim was released from the hospital. This is a developing story. CrimeOnline will have further updates when more information is available.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.

[Feature image: Madalyn Payton Slater/GoFundMe]