Malnourished Toddler Found Dead in Indiana, Police Say Child Had Been Eating Diapers and Drywall
A 2-year-old boy in Tell City, Indiana, has died in a case police are investigating as suspected child neglect and starvation.
According to the Tell City Police Department, officers were called to a home on March 31 after receiving a report of a child not breathing.
When officers arrived, they found the toddler on the living room floor and immediately began performing CPR. However, the child was pronounced dead at the scene and was believed to have been dead for several hours.
Police said the child’s parents, identified as Trevor Reichard-Hayes and Katherine Carter, told officers they had last seen the boy alive around 11 p.m. the night before, more than 14 hours before the emergency call was made.
Investigators reported that the child appeared extremely malnourished and weighed about 15 pounds, significantly below the expected weight for his age. Officers also observed more than 40 sores or bug bites on his body.
According to police, the mother told officers that the child had been eating his diapers, which investigators believe may have been due to severe hunger.
After obtaining a search warrant, officers described the home as being in very poor condition. They reported finding feces on the floors, dirt, insects, and pieces of drywall, paint chips, and diapers scattered throughout the children’s rooms.
In one of the rooms, police said there was a small bed surrounded by debris, along with a training toilet that appeared not to have been cleaned for days or even weeks.
During the autopsy, officials reportedly found materials in the child’s system consistent with drywall, paint chips, and diaper material.
Two other children were also found in the home and have since been removed by authorities.
Both parents have been arrested and charged with murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, and neglect of a dependent. They are expected to appear in court.
The investigation is ongoing.