On February 9, 2023, 4-month-old Khe-Lani and her 3-year-old sibling were left in the care of their mother's boyfriend, Shaun Wadlow Jr., at an apartment in Moore, Oklahoma (Cleveland County). Approximately one hour later, the mother called Wadlow to ask about dinner, and he told her the infant was unresponsive. The mother rushed home and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The infant was not breathing; after extended CPR efforts, paramedics obtained a heartbeat and the child was transported to OU Children's Hospital, where no brain activity was detected. Medical evaluation revealed a severe brain injury including a spinal cord injury, blood on the brain, and hemorrhaging. A child abuse medical specialist determined the injuries were consistent with abusive head trauma and inflicted trauma-child abuse, and could not be explained by accidental injury, preexisting conditions, or benign events. Wadlow told police he had placed the baby in a swing and left briefly to make a bottle, returning to find her unresponsive. The child was placed on life support and died several days later. Wadlow was arrested and charged with first-degree murder of a child, to which he pleaded not guilty.
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)
Multiple documents confirm inflicted injury. Document 1 states the injuries are "consistent with inflected trauma-child abuse." Document 2 reports Dr. Ryan Brown testified the injuries were "unnatural" and consistent with "abusive head trauma." Document 3 quotes the child abuse medical specialist concluding the injuries were consistent with "inflicted trauma-child abuse."
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?
Document 2 (News9) states Dr. Ryan Brown testified the baby had a "spinal cord injury" and "blood on the brain" and that "he believed her injuries were 'unnatural' and consistent with 'abusive head trauma'." This is an explicit reference to 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)?
Document 2 (News9) explicitly describes Wadlow as "the mother's boyfriend," stating "A Cleveland County man will stand trial in the death of his girlfriend's baby." Both the mother and grandmother "testified the defendant was assuming the role of father and cared for the baby." He was the male paramour involved in the child's death.
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?
All three documents confirm Wadlow was arrested and charged with first-degree murder of a child. Document 1 (KOCO) states: "The Moore Police Department arrested 25-year-old Shaun Wadlow Jr., and he was charged with first-degree murder of a child."
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?
Document 3 (OKC Fox) states: "He is also facing a separate charge for burglary out of Oklahoma County. In recent years, he was also arrested for possessing a firearm while under the influence of alcohol and had multiple other warrants." The firearm/alcohol arrest and the multiple warrants clearly predate and are separate from the fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Document 3 (OKC Fox) mentions that Wadlow, who was acting as caregiver, "was also arrested for possessing a firearm while under the influence of alcohol." While this is in the context of prior criminal history, it references alcohol use by the caregiver.
Notable Details
Document 2 (News9) reveals a notable family dynamic: the baby's mother appeared at the preliminary hearing "wearing a T-shirt showing support for both her daughter and Wadlow," and both the mother and grandmother testified that Wadlow "was assuming the role of father and cared for the baby." Additionally, "Family and extended family of the baby got into a shouting match outside the courthouse" with "Many family members were there in support of the suspect." This divided family dynamic — where the mother appears to support the accused killer of her child while the extended family seeks justice — is an unusual circumstance that could materially affect a researcher's understanding of this case. Document 3 also notes the case had been "postponed three times since his arrest" due to both sides needing more time.
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