SHIPSHWANA, Ind. (WLKI) - A Shipshewana woman has been charged with murder and neglect of a dependent causing death in connection with the April death of her 5-month-old son.
According to KPC Media, Indiana State Police filed Level 1 felony charges against 24-year-old Chantell M. Cunningham, of the 600 block of Middlebury Street in Shipshewana. Cunningham was arrested Wednesday and faces charges of murder and neglect of a dependent causing death.
Court documents filed in LaGrange Superior Court allege Cunningham initially told police that she had dropped the infant multiple times before he was found unresponsive at her home on April 6.
Investigators said Cunningham told police, "My body kept falling" and that she "ended up dropping him a few times." According to court records, she also said similar incidents had happened before but that she typically put the child to bed afterward.
The probable cause affidavit states investigators reviewed Cunningham's phone records, which included searches and messages related to concerns about the child's safety.
Court documents say Cunningham's phone was used to search for information about whether child protective services could remove her child and later searched for information about quickly healing a baby bruise on the morning of April 6.
Investigators say Cunningham attempted to contact her mother twice before reaching out to a friend through Facebook Messenger. That friend and another person went to Cunningham's home, where they found the infant unresponsive on a bed. Emergency crews were called, and a deputy began CPR before the child was transported to Parkview LaGrange Hospital, where the infant was pronounced dead.
An autopsy conducted April 7 determined the cause of death was non-accidental blunt-impact head trauma, according to court records. Investigators said the injuries included multiple fractures to the infant's face and skull and that there was no indication drugs or toxic substances contributed to the death. Cunningham later gave additional statements to investigators, describing multiple falls involving the infant. Court records state those accounts differed from earlier statements.
Investigators also noted Cunningham had been prescribed Lacosamide to treat seizures but stopped taking the medication in January. Police reported finding 56 of 60 prescribed tablets remaining in the medication bottle.
The probable cause affidavit states investigators believe Cunningham's statements were inconsistent and did not explain the injuries suffered by the child.
Cunningham is facing Level 1 felony charges, which carry some of the most serious penalties under Indiana law.
The case remains pending in LaGrange Superior Court.