Parents' Neglect Leads to Infant's Death from Malnutrition

Parents have been arrested in Indiana on charges of leaving their two-year-old child neglected for over 14 hours, leading to their death from severe malnutrition and dehydration. The Tell City Police Department announced the arrest of Trevor Leichardt-Hayes, 39, and Catherine Carter, 31, on charges of murder and neglect.

Police responded to a call from Leichardt-Hayes around 1:20 p.m. on March 31 and found two-year-old Eric Leichardt deceased. Responding officers attempted CPR, but Eric was pronounced dead at the scene. The lead detective wrote in the arrest warrant affidavit, "The child was blue and pale and was determined to have been deceased for several hours." Eric's cause of death was identified as severe malnutrition and profound dehydration.

Eric weighed only 15 pounds (approximately 6.8 kg), which is about half the normal weight for a child his age, and his body was covered in dozens of wounds and insect bites. Investigators determined that Eric had eaten diapers and pieces of drywall due to extreme hunger. The detective stated that feces, drywall fragments, diaper remnants, and insects were scattered across the floor of the room where the children were kept. In contrast, the parents' bedroom was neatly organized, standing in stark contrast to the rest of the house.

Two other children were living in the home besides Eric; one of them has been hospitalized with severe malnutrition and dehydration.