A tragic case of alleged neglect in Indiana has left a 2-year-old girl dead and her parents facing serious criminal charges. Police say the child was left overnight in a closet with a space heater that caused her body temperature to rise to a deadly 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
Authorities responded to an apartment complex in Berne, Indiana, on the afternoon of November 27, after receiving a call for a death investigation. Upon arrival, Berne Assistant Police Chief James Newbold described feeling a striking heat difference when entering the bedroom and approaching the closet where the child was found.
Inside the closet, investigators discovered a disturbing scene. The space was described as being in “disarray,” with trash scattered throughout, along with a soiled diaper and feces. The toddler was found in a crib on a heavily soiled mattress. Police noted discoloration on the girl’s body, particularly her head, which was described as “darkly discolored.”