An 18-year-old Indiana mother is facing up to 40 years in prison after her infant daughter died in an accidental co-sleeping incident, prosecutors said.
Keira Dunson, 18, of Kokomo, Indiana, was charged after her 6-week-old daughter, Opal Jade Sisk, died while sharing her bed, according to court documents.
Kokomo police officers responded to Dunson’s home on August 15 and discovered the baby unresponsive, police said.
First responders initiated lifesaving efforts at the scene, according to records. But the infant was pronounced dead, police said.
The coroner determined Opal died from positional asphyxia with probable overlay, records state. However, the coroner officially classified the infant’s death as accidental, according to the report.
An autopsy examination reportedly found no signs of trauma on the child’s body, according to court documents.
Dunson allegedly admitted smoking marijuana the evening prior while serving as the infant’s sole caregiver, court documents state.
The mother then allegedly fell asleep with Opal in her bed, according to the affidavit.
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Dunson allegedly told investigators she later remembered moving the baby to a crib, court records state. But the mother was unsure whether the infant was breathing at that point, according to the documents.
The mother said she realized Opal was unresponsive when she woke up around 6 a.m. to feed her, police said.
An investigating officer characterized Dunson’s actions as careless, police records show.
That officer requested only a Level 6 felony neglect charge against the mother, according to court documents. But prosecutors chose to seek substantially higher offenses, filings show.
Dunson is charged with Level 1 felony neglect resulting in death, according to the charging documents.
That Level 1 felony charge carries a penalty of up to 40 years in prison, court records show.
Prosecutors also charged the mother with Level 3 felony neglect resulting in serious bodily injury and Level 5 felony neglect resulting in injury, court documents state.
The available court records do not explain why the Howard County Prosecutor’s Office pursued the significantly more severe charges, according to filings.
Dunson was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Howard County Jail, police said.
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