On the night of February 9, 2022, Shelby Starr, 20, of Mountain View, Missouri, placed her 11-month-old daughter to sleep in a small closet room measuring nine by four feet with a 1,500-watt electric space heater running. She closed the door and did not check on the child for approximately 12 hours. At about 11:00 a.m. the following morning, a household member discovered the child deceased. The room was still notably hotter than the rest of the residence even after the heater had been removed. An autopsy determined the cause of death was directly related to the operation of the electric space heater in the small, enclosed room. Starr was charged with manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, and child abuse in April 2023.
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 news article states that Starr "did not check on the baby for a 12-hour period of time" after placing the 11-month-old in a small closet room with a running space heater and closing the door. Failing to check on an infant for 12 hours in a hazardous environment constitutes inappropriate supervision.
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 news article states that Starr "put the child to sleep in a 'small closet room,' measuring nine-by-four feet" with "a 1,500-watt electric heater in use to heat the room." She "turned on the heater, closed the door of the closet room, and did not check on the baby for a 12-hour period of time." A small enclosed closet with an unmonitored space heater constitutes an unsafe sleeping environment, and the autopsy confirmed the cause of death was "directly related to the operation of an electric space heater in a small, enclosed room for an extended period of time."
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?
The news article identifies Shelby Starr as the mother of the child, stating she "faces manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, and child abuse charges following the Feb. 2022 death of her 11-month-old child." She placed the child in the closet room with the heater and did not check on her for 12 hours.
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?
The news article states: "Shelby Starr, 20 of Mountain View, faces manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, and child abuse charges following the Feb. 2022 death of her 11-month-old child." It further states that "The Howell County Prosecuting Attorney's Office filed charges on April 16. The defendant pled not guilty, posted her $50,000 bond, and requested a change of judicial venue on April 18."
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
The news article notes several notable legal details: the defendant "requested a change of judicial venue on April 18," and on April 19, "a motion to raise the security level on the case was filed." The article also notes that "As of press time, the matter remains public record," suggesting there was an active effort to restrict public access to the case. Additionally, a significant gap of over a year passed between the child's death in February 2022 and the filing of charges on April 16, 2023.
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