Cheyanna McKamey, a 1-month-old girl, died on July 19, 2022, in Lafayette, Indiana, from positional asphyxia with the presence of illicit fentanyl as a contributing factor. Her father, Erik McKamey, fed and changed her around 2 a.m. and then placed her to sleep on a futon mattress alongside himself and the child's mother, Tena Wood, because the child's crib was broken. When the parents woke that morning, they found the child face down on the mattress, unresponsive, purple, and cold to the touch. The child's toxicology was positive for fentanyl, though tests of her bottle contents found no traces of fentanyl. The father tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine, and fentanyl. Both parents were arrested in April 2023 and charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, with habitual offender enhancements due to multiple prior felony convictions.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The fatality report (Document 1) states: "At autopsy, the child's toxicology test was positive for fentanyl." The medical examiner report (Document 2) lists the cause of death as "POSITIONAL ASPHYXIA; PRESENCE OF ILLICIT FENTANYL." The WISH-TV article (Document 5) notes investigators examined the bottle contents and "found no traces of fentanyl or other substances in the milk," but the child still had fentanyl in her blood, indicating exposure through another route.
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
The fatality report (Document 1) explicitly states the child "died from suffocation due to unsafe sleep" and that "the father fed the child a bottle in the early morning hours and then placed her to sleep on an adult mattress with the child's mother and himself." The WISH-TV article (Document 5) reports that "Erik told investigators that Cheeyanna had been sleeping in Erik and Wood's bed as Cheeyanna's crib was broken and the family was in the process of moving." The jconline article (Document 3) describes the child "lying on a futon cushion on a floor."
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The fatality report (Document 1) identifies the perpetrator as "Father." The news articles identify him as Erik Wayne McKamey, the victim's biological father. The jconline article (Document 3) describes the parents as "Tena Cheyenne Wood and Erik Wayne McKamey" and refers to their "daughter."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
While the fatality report (Document 1) lists only the "Father" as the perpetrator, the mother Tena Cheyenne Wood was also charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death. The jconline article (Document 3) states: "Both Wood and McKamey are charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and neglect of a dependent." The mother was co-sleeping on the futon mattress with the child and father. She is the child's biological mother.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The fatality report (Document 1) states "Perpetrator history of substantiated assessments: 1," indicating the father had a prior substantiated child protection report before this child's death. The victim herself had zero previous assessments.
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The jconline article (Document 3) reports: "Both Wood and McKamey are charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and neglect of a dependent." The truecrimedaily article (Document 4) confirms: "police arrested Wood and McKamey, and they were booked into the Tippecanoe County Jail. Court records show they each face charges of neglect of a dependent causing death and neglect of a dependent by placing the dependent in a situation that endangered its life."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
The WISH-TV article (Document 5) details prior criminal history for both parents that predates the fatal incident: "Wood was previously charged with three counts of possessing a controlled substance and one count of possessing an illegal syringe. Erik was previously charged with theft, dealing cocaine, possessing an illegal syringe, and operating a motor vehicle after having his license permanently revoked." The jconline article (Document 3) also notes: "since both have multiple felony convictions, prosecutors filed sentence-enhancing charges of habitual offender against both Wood and McKamey."
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report (Document 1) states: "The father subsequently tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine and fentanyl." Additionally, the WISH-TV article (Document 5) reports both parents had prior drug-related convictions: "Wood was previously charged with three counts of possessing a controlled substance and one count of possessing an illegal syringe. Erik was previously charged with theft, dealing cocaine, possessing an illegal syringe."
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. First, the WISH-TV article (Document 5) reports that Wood told investigators that Erik "thickened Cheeyanna's milk with rice cereal" and that "some of the cereal had fallen onto a table, which Wood said she and Erik 'found abandoned near a dumpster' a week or two before the incident. Wood said Erik had picked up the cereal to place back in the bottle." This suggests the parents were using food scavenged from trash to feed the infant. Second, despite the child's blood testing positive for fentanyl, "Investigators examined the contents of Cheeyanna's bottle, which contained about 5.5 ounces of liquid, and found no traces of fentanyl or other substances in the milk," leaving the route of fentanyl exposure uncertain and potentially indicating environmental or contact exposure from the father (who tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine, and fentanyl). Third, the child's crib was reportedly broken, which was cited as the reason for co-sleeping.
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