5-year-old Dead after Mom locked her in Closet and gave her no Food in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN: A 5-year-old died after her mother locked her in a closet and gave her no food and water. The girl died from starvation and malnutrition.
Court records show that Kinsleigh Welty passed away the day following the Great North American Eclipse.
Responding to a call regarding an unconscious kid, officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department went to a home on Denver Drive shortly after 5:15 p.m. on April 9.
This little girl “immediately appeared malnourished,” as stated in a police press release. Lice crawled over her face and head, and she had bite marks all over her body as well as feces in her hair and on her feet. She was taken in a hurry to Riley Hospital for Children, but she was later declared dead due to starvation.
Court records obtained by WXIN, a Fox affiliate in Indianapolis, show that Kinsleigh’s weight at the time of her death was significantly lower than when she was two years old.
Kinsleigh’s mother, Toni Renee McClure, 29, is facing serious charges including two counts of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, battery on a person less than 14 years old, and criminal confinement, according to Marion County jail records.
McClure’s boyfriend, Ryan Smith, 27, is facing serious charges including three counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, and one count of criminal confinement. Kinsleigh’s grandmother, Tammy Halsey, 53, is facing a serious charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in death.
Prosecutor of Marion County Ryan Mears announced on Monday that his office was pursuing life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder suspect McClure, a harsher sentence than is customary.
Reports indicate that the closet was found to be covered in feces, and a dresser from the bedroom was used to block the door.
Before, McClure had run afoul of the law. As a result of her actions toward Kinsleigh, she faced negligence charges in December 2018.
In a subsequent plea, the girl’s mother admitted to neglecting her daughter and was sentenced to 400 days of probation. The woman and her now-deceased child were allegedly not located despite the fact that the Indiana Department of Child Services had investigated the living conditions for years.
