On August 1, 2023, deputies in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, responded to a call about an infant not breathing at a residence on Northwest 18th Street in Reserve. They found a 4-to-5-month-old girl unresponsive in her bed, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy determined she died from starvation, malnutrition, dehydration, severe neglect, and child abuse, and her manner of death was ruled a homicide. Her parents, Angel Taylor (24) and Chevy Lafountain (31), were arrested and charged with second-degree murder; the sheriff attributed the death to a combination of drug abuse, poor parenting, and extreme neglect. Living conditions in the home were described as deplorable, and the couple's 13-month-old son was also found with signs of neglect and abuse and was taken into state custody.
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)
The autopsy findings as reported in both news articles list "child abuse" as a contributing factor separately from "severe neglect," "starvation," "malnutrition," and "dehydration." For example, Document 2 states the autopsy showed the child "had suffered from starvation, malnutrition, dehydration, severe neglect and child abuse, all of which the coroner's office said contributed to her death." The separate listing of "child abuse" alongside "severe neglect" suggests there may have been physical abuse or inflicted injury beyond the neglect, though the specifics are not described. Additionally, the charges for the sibling included "cruelty to juveniles with force/violence," which may suggest a pattern of physical abuse in the home.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
All three documents explicitly reference malnutrition, starvation, and/or dehydration. The FOIA document (Document 1) states the cause of death was "Severe Malnutrition and Starvation." The wtok.com article (Document 2) states the autopsy "showed she had suffered from starvation, malnutrition, dehydration, severe neglect and child abuse." The wdsu.com article (Document 3) corroborates: "she suffered from starvation, malnutrition, dehydration, severe neglect, and child abuse leading to her death."
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?
The articles identify Angel Taylor and Chevy Lafountain as the child's "parents" and refer to the deceased as "their 4-month-old daughter." They are described as "a Louisiana couple" (Document 2). The name "Chevy" is typically male, and given that they are described as a couple and parents of the children, it is strongly implied that Chevy Lafountain is the biological father. Both were arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with their daughter's death.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Angel Taylor and Chevy Lafountain are identified as the child's "parents" in both news articles. Given they are described as a couple, with Chevy being a typically male name, Angel Taylor is implied to be the biological mother. Both were charged with second-degree murder in the death of their daughter. Document 2 states they were both "taken into custody" and Document 3 confirms both were "arrested and booked on charges of second-degree murder."
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 news articles explicitly state that Angel Taylor (24) and Chevy Lafountain (31) were arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with their daughter's death. Document 2 states: "Angel Taylor, 24, and Chevy Lafountain, 31, were taken into custody Tuesday and face charges of second-degree murder, neglect and child abuse." Document 3 states: "Taylor and Lafountain were arrested and booked on charges of second-degree murder, cruelty to juveniles with force and violence, and child desertion."
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?
Document 2 (wtok.com) quotes Sheriff Tregre as stating the child's death was caused by "a combination of drug abuse, very poor parenting [and] neglect to the highest level." This explicitly references drug abuse by the parents/caregivers as a contributing factor.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text. Document 2 reports that both suspects "admitted to treating their children poorly" and "appeared unremorseful" during questioning. Document 3 adds that "detectives determined their statements were inconsistent with the infant's physical state." Additionally, the couple's 13-month-old son was also found with signs of neglect and abuse and was taken into state custody, indicating that both children in the home were victims. The sheriff quoted in Document 2 stated: "I've seen wild animals take better care of their babies." The bond was set at $600,000 with no 10% option, requiring the full cash amount, which is an unusually strict bond condition.
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