Indiana Parents Arrested After 8-Month-Old Found Weighing Just 9 Pounds — Admitted Locking Baby in Room So They Could Sleep
NORTH VERNON, INDIANA — A young Indiana couple has been arrested after police say they starved and neglected their 8-month-old daughter, locking her in a room for up to 10 hours at a time “so they could sleep.”
25-year-olds Benjamin Joseph Tackett and Kayla Therese Thompson now face multiple felony neglect charges after investigators found their baby suffering from extreme malnutrition, poor hygiene, and developmental delays.
Infant Weighed Just 9 Pounds at 8 Months
According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office, the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) first alerted detectives to possible child neglect earlier this fall. When authorities visited the family’s North Vernon home, they discovered shocking conditions and a severely underweight baby.
“The 8-month-old child was suffering from severe malnourishment, hygiene-related neglect, severe dermatitis, and developmental delays,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “At 8 months old, the child weighed approximately 9 pounds.”
Medical staff confirmed that the infant’s condition had no underlying medical cause — only prolonged neglect and lack of care.
Parents Admit to “Locking the Baby in the Bedroom”
When interviewed by police, Tackett and Thompson allegedly confessed that their exhaustion after work often led them to lock their daughter in a separate room for hours at a time.
“They admitted to knowingly neglecting the child,” detectives wrote. “Benjamin and Kayla advised detectives that they were tired after work and, at times, locked the child in a separate bedroom for approximately 10 hours at a time so they could sleep.”
Authorities say this pattern of neglect continued for weeks.
DCS History and Missed Medical Appointments
Court documents obtained by Law&Crime revealed the couple had previously been the subject of DCS reports citing severe malnourishment, poor hygiene, and developmental concerns. The parents allegedly missed multiple medical appointments that could have identified their daughter’s worsening condition.
Detectives said the couple eventually acknowledged that the baby’s dangerously low weight was “due to lack of effort from mom and dad.”
Several other children were also found living in the home and have since been removed and placed with other caregivers, authorities confirmed.
Facing Serious Felony Charges
Both Tackett and Thompson were booked into the Jennings County Jail on two counts each of:
- Neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury
- Neglect of a dependent
They are scheduled to appear before Circuit Judge Murielle S. Bright on November 13.
Neither parent has prior criminal charges in Indiana, according to court records.
What do you think — should neglect cases like this result in lifetime bans on parental custody? Share your opinions and follow updates on ChicagoMusicGuide.com.