Six-month-old Samson Scott was found unresponsive on October 18, 2022, at his family's home at 1906 Watkins Street in Augusta, Georgia. His parents, Tyrone Scott and Salena Tyler, reported that they had left Samson alone on a reclining couch in the living room while they were under the influence of various substances. The baby was unsupervised for approximately two hours. When the father went to check on the child, Samson was unresponsive; the parents called 911 and began CPR, but the child was pronounced dead at Augusta University Medical Center at 11:11 p.m. The home was found to have extreme living conditions including roach infestation, exposure to illegal narcotics and alcohol, broken furniture, and dangerous instruments. The official cause of death was ruled Sudden Unexplained Infant Death with an undetermined manner. Both parents were arrested and charged with cruelty to children in the second degree. Notably, Samson was the younger brother of Travis Scott, who had died on February 13, 2021, after the same parents were accused of repeatedly turning off the boy's ventilator; those prior felony murder charges had been dismissed just 18 days before Samson's death.
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 WRDW news article (Oct 2022) quotes the arrest warrants: "While under the influence of various substances, the accused and co-defendant left said minor unsupervised in another room of their residence for a minimum of approximately two (2) hours without food or care." A 6-month-old infant was left unsupervised in a separate room while both parents were under the influence of substances, constituting clearly 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 WRDW news article (Oct 2022) states that the mother told deputies that they "left their 6 month old baby alone in the living room around 2200hrs in the reclining couch 'on his back but kind of on his back.'" Placing a 6-month-old to sleep on a reclining couch is widely recognized as an unsafe sleep surface for infants and the child was subsequently found unresponsive.
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The WRDW news article (Oct 2022) identifies the parents as "Tyrone Scott and Salena Tyler." Tyrone Scott is identified as the father throughout the articles and was arrested and charged with cruelty to children in the second degree in connection with Samson's death. The Aug 2023 article confirms he remains jailed and was denied bond.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The WRDW news article (Oct 2022) identifies Salena Tyler (also referred to as Salena Devine Tyler/Scott) as the mother of Samson. She was arrested and charged with cruelty to children in the second degree. The arrest warrants detail her role in leaving the child unsupervised. The Aug 2023 article confirms she remains in Richmond County jail.
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 WRDW news article (Oct 2022) details that the parents were previously arrested and charged with felony murder and cruelty to children in the first degree in 2021 for the death of sibling Travis Scott. The article states: "Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen reported signs of neglect in 2021." The article further notes, "During the investigation, it was found that there was neglect on the part of both listed offenders/parents of the victim ... that led to the death of the victim." This constitutes a clear history of prior child protection involvement for a sibling.
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)?
The WRDW news articles clearly establish that Samson's older brother Travis Scott died on February 13, 2021, a separate incident from Samson's death. The Oct 2022 article states: "He was the brother of Travis Scott, who died on Feb. 13, 2021, after his parents Tyrone Scott and Salena Tyler were accused of repeatedly turning off the ventilator of the boy who'd been born prematurely."
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The WRDW news article (Oct 2022) states: "The parents were arrested again Wednesday and charged with cruelty to children in the second degree, according to jail records." The Aug 2023 article confirms both parents remain jailed: "Scott and the mother of the boys, Salena Devine Tyler, both remain in Richmond County jail on a charge of cruelty to children in the second degree as well as a grand jury arrest warrant."
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?
Both parents had significant prior criminal history predating Samson's death. The WRDW news article (Oct 2022) states that in 2021, after Travis's death, "The parents were both arrested and charged with murder and cruelty to children." These charges were dismissed "21 days ago" (relative to Samson's death), with documents stating "although there appears to be probable cause for the issuance of the warrant, there does not appear to be sufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." The prior murder and cruelty charges constituted criminal history separate from the current fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The WRDW news article (Oct 2022) quotes the arrest warrants: "While under the influence of various substances, the accused and co-defendant left said minor unsupervised." The warrants also describe the home conditions as including "exposure to illegal narcotics and alcohol." Additionally, regarding the 2021 case, prosecutors noted "the residence smelled like marijuana and smoke, clearly bad conditions for a child with a lung disease."
Notable Details
The WRDW news article (Oct 2022) details a significant systemic and legal failure: the parents had been previously charged with felony murder and cruelty to children in the first degree for the 2021 death of their older son Travis Scott. These charges were dismissed just 18 days before Samson's death, with prosecutors finding insufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt despite probable cause. The article explicitly raises the question: "So how were they able to have a second child in their care?" This represents a notable policy failure in which the criminal justice and child welfare systems allowed parents previously accused of killing a child through neglect to retain custody of a second child, who subsequently died under conditions described as involving "extreme living conditions" and parental substance use.
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