Yana Massengale, an 8-month-old girl born on July 5, 2022, in Jacksboro, Texas, was found unresponsive in an unsafe sleep environment at an RV park on Springcreek Road in Olney, Texas, on March 29, 2023, at approximately 5:30 a.m. She was transported to Olney Hamilton Hospital where she was pronounced dead. At the time of her death, her family was involved in an open CPS Family Based Safety Services (FBSS) case that had been opened just five weeks earlier on February 22, 2023, due to concerns of neglectful supervision of Yana and her siblings. Olney police and the Texas Rangers investigated, finding the circumstances suspicious. A Young County Grand Jury subsequently indicted her biological mother, Jasmine Alexis Kay Smith, for criminally negligent homicide. Smith pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 3 years of probation. Yana was survived by six siblings.
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 fatality report states the FBSS case was opened "due to concerns of neglectful supervision of Yana and her siblings," and Document 2 categorizes Yana's case under "Neglectful supervision." While the immediate cause of death was an unsafe sleep environment, placing an infant in such an environment can constitute a form of neglectful or inappropriate supervision. The CPS case itself was predicated on neglectful supervision concerns.
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: "Yana died on March 29, 2023 after being found unresponsive in an unsafe sleep 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?
Document 4 states "A source close to the situation confirmed to our newsroom that Smith is the biological mother of an Olney infant who died in March 2023." Document 6 confirms "The mother of a baby girl who died in Olney in 2023 has pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide." Smith was indicted and convicted for causing the death of her child.
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 states: "The FBSS stage was open on February 22, 2023 due to concerns of neglectful supervision of Yana and her siblings." This means there was a CPS investigation that preceded the death and resulted in the FBSS case being opened. The existence of an open FBSS case at the time of death on March 29, 2023 confirms prior child protection involvement. Additionally, Document 2 references that many cases "involved families who were previously investigated by DFPS."
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?
Multiple sources confirm that Jasmine Alexis Kay Smith was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide. Document 3 states: "A Young County Grand Jury reviewed the case and returned an indictment against Jasmin Alexis Kay Smith for criminally negligent homicide on Nov. 20." Document 6 confirms she "pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide" and "was sentenced to 3 years probation."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
The Olney Enterprise reports the death occurred at "a local recreational vehicle park" (104 E. Springcreek Rd.), and Document 6 confirms "police responded to an Olney R-V park on Springcreek Road on a nonresponsive infant." Living in an RV park is analogous to temporary or non-traditional housing, similar to the examples listed (motel, living in car).
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: (1) The child died just 35 days after the FBSS case was opened on February 22, 2023, raising questions about the adequacy of CPS monitoring during active safety services. (2) The family was living at an RV park, as noted in Document 3 ("death of her eight-month-old child in a local recreational vehicle park"). (3) Document 6 states "Yana was born July 5, 2022, in Jacksboro and was survived by six siblings," meaning the mother had seven children. (4) The mother, Jasmine Smith, received only 3 years of probation for criminally negligent homicide after pleading guilty. (5) Document 2 is from an investigative journalism site that contextualizes this death within a broader pattern, noting that many child fatality cases "involved families who were previously investigated by DFPS" and that "Texas left more children in dangerous homes while cutting services."
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