Father of slain 2-year-old talks to WFTV about her death

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — The father of a 2-year-old girl who investigators said was beaten to death by her mother earlier this year got emotional Wednesday as he spoke to Channel 9 about his daughter's death.

Rachel Fryer has been charged with murder in the death of her daughter, Tariji Gordon.

On Wednesday, Gordon's father, Timothy Gordon, spoke to Channel 9 about the emotional ordeal.

Gordon said he doesn't want to testify against Fryer, who he had stopped by to see the night before Tariji died.

Fighting back tears, Gordon said he doesn’t like to think about Tariji's death and that he hasn't talked to Fryer since.

Fryer, who is pregnant with Gordon's second's child, is being held in the Seminole County Jail.

Gordon told Channel 9's Tim Barber that he watched the 9 Investigates story about children who died while being monitored by Department of Children and Families case workers.

"When I seen y'all's story on Monday, you know what I did?  I slept the whole (night), after 5, I didn't wake up until the next day. I went to sleep. It had me devastated," said Gordon.

Gordon said he doesn’t think Fryer is guilty of murder, yet he has not spoken to or visited her since Tariji's death.

According to a report that was released last week, had Tariji gotten medical treatment in the 24 hours after she was beaten, she may have lived.

WFTV