Chelsea Crompton, who is the girlfriend of four-year-old Hazel Lidey's father, is being charged with murder.
Hazel Lidey was with her father and his girlfriend last Thursday, when deputies were called to their home in Catawba County, according to court documents.
The initial call was for a possible drug overdose, but documents say EMS found Hazel suffering from trauma-related injuries with bruising over much of her body.
Officials say more than a dozen investigators have been assigned to the case.