Wisconsin Mom Who Let Her 3-Week-Old Starve While Ordering Takeout Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison
SUN PRAIRIE, WISCONSIN — A Wisconsin mother whose 3-week-old baby boy starved to death while she and her boyfriend ordered takeout and ignored repeated warnings from doctors will spend the next eight years in prison, a Dane County judge ruled this week.
Taryn L. Strait, 22, pleaded guilty to felony child neglect for the 2024 death of her infant son, Dev’Kumar Keys. Her boyfriend, 27-year-old De’Varius D. Keys, who is also the child’s father, pleaded guilty to the same charge and is awaiting sentencing next month.
Baby Found Blue in the Face After Days Without Food
Police say Dev’Kumar was found unresponsive and blue inside his bassinet in the couple’s Sun Prairie apartment on Feb. 1, 2024.
Instead of calling 911, the parents drove to the hospital because Strait said she didn’t want to pay for an ambulance. Medical staff tried to resuscitate the baby, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
An autopsy revealed Dev’Kumar had died from starvation and dehydration, weighing just five pounds at death — more than a pound less than his birth weight.
Parents Ignored Doctor’s Orders
According to court records reviewed by Law&Crime, doctors had warned the couple that their newborn was losing weight rapidly and needed to be fed every two hours.
The parents failed to follow up. They missed scheduled checkups, ignored messages from the clinic, and dismissed calls from Child Protective Services, which had been notified about the baby’s condition but found “insufficient evidence” to substantiate neglect.
The agency ultimately closed the case without providing additional follow-up or services.
Fed Baby Almond Milk, Feared ‘Lead in Formula’
Investigators said Strait was feeding her newborn almond milk instead of formula because she believed online conspiracy videos claiming baby formula contained lead.
“Taryn stated that all of the baby formulas no matter what the brand had lead in it,” detectives wrote in the criminal complaint. “She would watch videos online of people putting magnets into baby formula and pulling out lead.”
Prosecutors said the parents’ refusal to use proper formula — and their lack of urgency in seeking medical help — led directly to Dev’Kumar’s death.
Judge Condemns ‘Selfishness’ During Sentencing
During Wednesday’s sentencing, Assistant District Attorney Will Davis called Strait’s actions “unthinkably selfish.”
“You protect and nourish your child,” Davis told the court. “Ms. Strait did none of those things.”
Judge Nicholas McNamara said he was appalled that Strait and Keys ordered food for themselves — and even had sex — while their baby was starving just feet away.
“I can’t fathom the selfishness,” McNamara said. “You were feeding yourselves while your child slowly died.”
Strait’s attorney cited her mental health struggles and alleged domestic abuse by Keys as factors in the case, saying her client was “not in a sound state of mind.”
In her brief statement, Strait apologized and said her son’s death would “haunt her forever.”
CPS Under Scrutiny
The case has prompted renewed criticism of Wisconsin’s Child Protective Services, which admitted it found no actionable evidence of neglect before the baby’s death.
“The agency closed the case upon completion of the initial assessment, and no service referrals were made,” a summary report stated.
Officials have declined to explain why no follow-up occurred despite clear warning signs from medical staff.
Father’s Sentencing Still Ahead
De’Varius Keys is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, facing a similar prison term.
The heartbreaking case has become a rallying cry among child welfare advocates demanding stronger intervention policies and mandatory medical check-ins for at-risk infants.
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