Four-year-old Chloe Darnell of Whitley County, Kentucky, was killed by Brittany Slaughter (24), a relative who had custody of her, and Adam Hayes (34), who lived with Slaughter. The child had not been seen by family since approximately September 2023, with Slaughter making excuses to prevent family contact. Family members eventually reported their concerns to the Whitley County Sheriff's Office in November, which triggered a welfare check and investigation. Slaughter was located, and investigators subsequently found a body believed to be Darnell's. According to family members, the suspects initially buried the child's body in their yard before moving it to another location. Both Slaughter and Hayes were arrested and charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical evidence.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
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?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
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)?
Adam Hayes (34) was charged alongside Brittany Slaughter with murder. The Kentucky.com article states that Slaughter and Hayes "originally buried Darnell's body in the yard of their house," indicating they lived together. Hayes is not described as being related to the child. Given that Slaughter had custody of the child and Hayes lived with her in the same house, this implies Hayes was a male paramour or companion of the custodial caregiver.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
The WKYT article states "Slaughter is related to Darnel and had custody of her." The Kentucky.com article similarly notes "Slaughter, who had custody of Darnell." Slaughter is described as a relative with custody rather than being identified as the child's mother, suggesting she was another adult relative (e.g., aunt, cousin, older sibling, etc.) who had been given custody. The lack of a specific familial label like 'mother' or 'parent' implies a non-parent relative.
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)?
The WKYT article states "Slaughter is related to Darnel and had custody of her." Slaughter is identified as a relative who had custody, but is not identified as a parent. This implies the child was living with a relative who was not a parent at the time of the incident.
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)?
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?
Both sources confirm that Brittany Slaughter and Adam Hayes were arrested and charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, and evidence tampering. The Kentucky.com article states: "Brittany Slaughter, 24, and Adam Hayes, 34, have been arrested and charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and evidence tampering." The WKYT article corroborates: "Both Slaughter and Hayes were charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence."
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?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text. First, the Kentucky.com article reports that the suspects "originally buried Darnell's body in the yard of their house" and "the body was later moved somewhere else where it was eventually found by authorities," which led to abuse of a corpse and evidence tampering charges in addition to murder. Second, the child had seven siblings, and a GoFundMe was created partly to bring them to the funeral. Third, family members reported growing suspicions because they "were unable to see or talk with Chloe the past month" and Slaughter "would continuously come up with excuses as to why Darnell couldn't see the family." The child may have been dead since September, but the investigation did not begin until a phone call to the sheriff's office in mid-November, indicating a significant gap between the child's disappearance and the initiation of any official investigation.
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