On June 17, 2022, 23-year-old Keanna Thomas left her 4-month-old daughter at her sister's home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to go out for the night. After consuming multiple alcoholic beverages, Thomas returned to her sister's house around 3 a.m. on June 18 while intoxicated, picked up the baby, and drove home. She placed the infant in the middle of an adult bed around 5 a.m. and fell asleep next to her. When Thomas was awakened by a family member around noon, the baby was no longer in the bed and was found on the floor, face down in pillows and bedding, unresponsive. An autopsy conducted by the East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office ruled the cause of death as positional asphyxiation due to unsafe sleeping and suffocation due to being face down in pillows and bedding. Thomas was arrested and booked for negligent homicide, with investigators finding she showed gross disregard for the child by picking her up while intoxicated and co-sleeping with the infant in an unsafe arrangement.
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)?
The WYMT article states that Thomas "showed gross disregard to the victim by picking the victim up from her sister's residence first and later placing the victim in the bed with her which led to the victim suffocating and passing away." Thomas admitted she was intoxicated, co-slept with the infant while drunk, and did not notice the baby had fallen off the bed and onto pillows for several hours (from approximately 5 a.m. to noon per the WBRZ article). This constitutes inappropriate supervision of the child.
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 WYMT article directly quotes the arrest warrant: "the cause of death was found to be positional asphyxiation due to unsafe sleeping, and suffocation due to being face down in pillows and bedding." The baby was placed in an adult bed with pillows and bedding while the intoxicated mother slept next to her, which constitutes 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?
Both articles identify the child's biological mother, Keanna Thomas, 23, as the person responsible for the child's death. The WYMT article states she was "facing negligent homicide charges in connection with the infant's death" and that she placed the baby in the bed while intoxicated, leading to the baby's suffocation.
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)?
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 articles confirm that Keanna Thomas was arrested and booked for negligent homicide. The WYMT article states: "23-year-old Keanna Thomas is facing negligent homicide charges in connection with the infant's death." The WBRZ article states: "Keanna Thomas, 23, was booked Thursday for negligent homicide."
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?
Both articles confirm the mother's alcohol use on the night of the incident. The WYMT article states Thomas "admitted to several people that she had gotten drunk that night" and that the warrant found her at fault for "admitting that she knew she was intoxicated." The WBRZ article states she had "multiple alcoholic beverages" and "told several people she was drunk when she picked her daughter up the night before and drove her home."
Notable Details
The WBRZ article reports that "Thomas told several people she was drunk when she picked her daughter up the night before and drove her home," indicating that Thomas drove while intoxicated with the infant in the vehicle, adding an additional layer of risk-taking behavior beyond the unsafe sleeping arrangement. Additionally, the WBRZ article notes that "while being booked Thursday, Thomas appeared to be wearing a memorial shirt bearing her daughter's likeness."
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