Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter has been charged over the death of a child she was babysitting.

Amanda Brumfield-who is estranged from her actor father and the daughter to his first wife Melissa Parish-was the sole carer of a one-year-old child last October when the youngster died after allegedly falling from a playpen.

Brumfield has been formally charged with child neglect causing harm or disability.

The 29-year-old claims the child died after sustaining an injury from the fall but reportedly did not call for help for two-and-a-half hours.

Brumfield claims that she called the child’s name which startled her resulting in her tumbling from her playpen. She said she noticed the child’s tongue was bleeding after the fall and cleaned it with a paper towel.

She said after the child seemed happy and in no pain as she played with the child feeding it drinks and snacks.

Brumfield then told police she lay the child beside her on the couch and fell asleep.

She claims she was awoken by a phone call and went to take the child back to the playpen, to find that her body was limp when she lifted her.

According to authorities, the autopsy confirmed that the child had suffered from a fractured skull and subdural hematoma due to blunt trauma.

However, medical examiners in Ocoee, Florida, reportedly ruled the death as homicide.

A spokesperson for the Ocoee Police Department said, “It is not believable that a one-year-old can balance themselves on  a railing. We do believe her head hit a hard object but you would either have to fall harder or hit something with more force than a 28-inch playpen fall.”

Brumfield-Thornton’s oldest child-was released on bail on Saturday. (30.05.09)

The star’s representative said, “Mr Thornton is estranged from Amanda and has had no contact with her for quite some time.

“However, when informed about this situation, he commented that, ‘Any time a baby’s life is lost is an unimaginable tragedy and my heart goes out to the baby’s family and loved one’s.”

Brumfield’s mother, Melissa Parish said that Amanda was very close with the child’s mother and would have let no harm come to her.

She said, “It is a tragic situation, she loved that little girl so much and it [her death] just crushed her, just devastated her.

“She was Olivia’s godmother and the mother’s best friend It’s just a horrible situation and it’s being made worse and exploding even more just because of who my ex husband is.”