Georgia Mother Accused of Killing Two Infant Sons After Responders Noted ‘Nonchalant’ Behavior at Both Death Scenes
JEFFERSON COUNTY, GA — A 21-year-old Georgia mother has been charged with murdering two of her infant sons after investigators uncovered alarming similarities in the boys’ deaths — including what officers described as the mother’s “nonchalant” behavior as paramedics tried to save one of the children.
Dakota Taylor was arrested on Nov. 20 following a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) probe into the January death of her 8-month-old son, Caleb. At the time of her arrest, she was already in custody in another county connected to the 2021 death of her 7-month-old son, Micah.
The two infant deaths occurred four years apart but showed disturbing parallels.
First Infant Death: Bodycam Shows Mother Detached as Medics Worked
The earliest case dates back to Sept. 13, 2021, when Taylor was living in a DeKalb County group home under the oversight of the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS).
That night, staff members found baby Micah unresponsive after Taylor reportedly gave him a bath. A group home employee began CPR while waiting for first responders.
However, officers at the scene noted Taylor’s emotional state as strikingly calm.
Body camera audio obtained by reporters captured one responding officer saying:
“The mother… she was very… like, ‘Alright, whatever.’ And I was like, ‘Your baby is—’”
Another officer described her demeanor as “nonchalant” even as the child was being rushed into the ambulance.
Micah later died, and the case remained under investigation.
Second Infant Death Raises Alarms for Investigators
On Jan. 8 of this year, Taylor brought her 8-month-old son Caleb to a relative’s home in Jefferson County. When the relative approached the car, Taylor reportedly closed the door before they could see the baby.
Once the child was taken inside, family members noticed that a diaper was partially covering Caleb’s face and that his lips were blue. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead.
An autopsy and subsequent investigation determined that Caleb had been suffocated, according to arrest warrants.
Taylor’s account of the day’s events shifted multiple times, investigators said. She told authorities the child had been laughing earlier in the afternoon, napping at her grandmother’s house, and then suddenly died shortly after arriving at a relative’s home.
Officials noted that Caleb’s death occurred despite the mother being under heightened scrutiny following the loss of her first child.
DFCS Records Reveal Additional Concerns
DFCS reported that Taylor had two other children, both of whom had long since been placed into foster care. The deaths of Micah and Caleb occurred while Taylor was still under state supervision.
The GBI later determined that both infant deaths involved severe neglect and deliberate harm.
Charges Filed in Both Deaths
After reviewing evidence from both cases, investigators charged Taylor with:
- Two counts of malice murder
- Two counts of felony murder
- Two counts of cruelty to children
Taylor had been held at McDuffie County Jail following Caleb’s death, though updated jail logs show she has since been transferred. Her current location has not been disclosed publicly.
She is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 11.
A Community Trying to Make Sense of the Losses
The two incidents have shaken both communities where the deaths occurred. Officers who responded to the scenes said Taylor’s repeated calmness while her infants were dying struck them as deeply unusual.
The cases also raise questions about oversight, intervention, and how two infants could die under similar circumstances just years apart.
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