JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- A Jeffersonville woman was found not guilty Thursday of all charges after a 6-month-old boy in her care died in 2022.
Indiana State Police initially said in a release that 35-year-old Brittany Baylor was running a home-based day care. At the time, she was charged with two felony charges after the child was found unresponsive at her home and died at the hospital.
The investigation started July 6, 2022. That's when Jeffersonville Police requested assistance from ISP after finding the boy unresponsive in Baylor's home on Redhawk Ridge, off Allison Lane, according to court records.
A Jeffersonville police officer arrived at the home in the afternoon to find Baylor performing CPR on the unresponsive infant, according to court documents. The records state that the officer dropped the child while performing first aid, and requested assistance from ISP to continue the investigation.
The child was taken by ambulance to Clark Memorial Hospital in Jeffersonville, then transferred to Norton Children's Hospital in Louisville, where he died from his injuries.
The investigation was led by ISP Detective Mike Bennett, who interviewed Baylor, the child's parents, pediatric doctors as well as the doctor who performed the autopsy.
Baylor told Bennett she gave the child a bottle before he took a nap and tried to give him another bottle when he woke up. That's when she said he started throwing up and "went limp," so she began CPR.
After reviewing bodycam footage from the officer who dropped the child, the doctor that performed the autopsy said "there was absolutely no possible way that the fall he observed on the body camera could have produced the injuries he observed."
The preliminary autopsy report indicated the child died from a closed head injury, including a contusion beneath the scalp. The final autopsy report concluded the child's fatal injuries were consistent with an assault.
Bennett presented his findings to Clark County prosecutors, who requested they be reviewed by Dr. Currie with Norton Pediatric Protective Services. He forwarded the information in September 2022, but Bennett did not receive a response until May 28, 2024.
Currie's report confirmed the autopsy findings, stating the child died from "fatal abusive head trauma, which included blunt impact to the top of the head."
Clark County prosecutor Jeremy Mull said they were unable to file the charges until almost two years later because they were waiting on a report from Norton Children's hospitals Pediatric Protective Services.
Baylor was arrested on June 4, 2024 and her bond was set at $1,000,000.
In August, Baylor was served new charges of battery resulting in serious bodily injury and neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury while being held at the Clark County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond.
According to ISP, the family member allegedly noticed the child’s leg was extremely sensitive while changing a diaper. That's when the mom took the child to Norton’s Children’s Hospital in Louisville.
Doctors there found the child had a broken right leg.
A Norton’s Pediatric Protection Specialist subsequently stated the injury was diagnostic of inflicted child physical abuse. After further investigation and interviews with DCS staff, information was submitted to the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
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