Madelin Anika Day was a 4-year-old medically complex child living in Mattoon, Illinois, who had sustained permanent and severe brain damage at 9 months of age after reportedly ingesting a family friend's diabetes medication, leaving her wheelchair-bound, non-verbal, and dependent on tube feedings. On November 16, 2022, her 24-year-old mother, Taylor West, found her unresponsive at their residence, and the child was pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy determined the cause of death was cocaine toxicity, with more than twice the lethal dose for a healthy adult in her system; the manner of death was ruled homicide. Because of her disabilities, the child could not have ingested the cocaine herself. Both the mother and her boyfriend, Maverick Bowman (age 32), tested positive for cocaine on the day of the child's death and were later arrested and charged with first-degree murder and drug-induced homicide. Just six days before the child's death, DCFS had received a hotline report about the child's significant weight loss, vomiting, and poor hygiene, and had opened an investigation for medical neglect and environmental neglect — but the assigned child protection investigator never saw the child in person before she died.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The fatality report (OIG2024-Death-Investigation-2.pdf) states: "The pathologist reported the child had cocaine in her system, and the amount was more than twice the dose that would be fatal for a healthy adult. The medical examiner's report determined the cause of death as cocaine toxicity." Multiple news articles also confirm the child died of a cocaine 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)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
The fatality report documents significant weight loss: "the child weighed 23.8 lbs. the week prior to her death, a weight loss of 7 lbs. from the last documented weight check two months earlier of 30.42 lbs." It also states: "the 4-year-old medically complex child required tube feedings and lost a lot of weight in the prior two weeks because of difficulty with child's feedings." The school reported the mother sent the child "without enough formula for her feeding" and "the school provided the child with formula which she did not tolerate well." School staff "had concerns about the child's hygiene and weight loss."
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The fatality report explicitly references medical neglect multiple times. It states: "The Department opened the investigation for allegations of medical neglect (#79) and environmental neglect (#82) against the mother." Furthermore, "the Department indicated the mother for medical neglect (#79) and environmental neglect (#82)." The child's primary care physician documented that "the child needed to be seen every month for a weight check, but the mother did not comply with the weight checks, and the mother did not respond to the physician's calls or letters."
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?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report states: "The child's mother and the mother's paramour tested positive for cocaine the day of the child's death, and the mother and the paramour were held without bail in jail on charges of first-degree murder and drug-induced homicide." The mother is identified as the biological mother throughout the report and named as Taylor West in multiple news articles.
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)?
The fatality report refers to "the mother's paramour" who tested positive for cocaine and was charged alongside the mother. News articles identify him as Maverick C Bowman, age 32, described as the mother's "boyfriend" (JG-TC article). The disability memorial also identifies him as "Mother's boyfriend."
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)
The fatality report documents that the child "sustained permanent and severe brain damage" and "was non-verbal." Medical diagnoses included "hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy" and "status epilepticus-generalized convulsive." The child is described as medically complex with impaired cognitive and motor function.
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
The fatality report states the child "required feeding through a tube and lacked the motor skills to put the substance in her mouth," "required a wheelchair," and "depended on others for all her basic needs." The disability memorial also lists her disability as "mobility impaired."
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 documents multiple prior reports. "In October 2018, the then 9-month-old child first came to the attention of the Department after she was brought to the hospital and medical staff determined she had a hypoxic brain injury." The Department unfounded the parents for head injuries by neglect (#52). Additionally, "Six days prior to the child's death, the DCFS hotline received a report" leading to an investigation for medical neglect (#79) and environmental neglect (#82) that was still open at the time of death.
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 both Taylor West and Maverick Bowman were arrested and charged. The JG-TC article states: "24-year-old Taylor M West, mother of the child, and 32-year-old Maverick C Bowman, her boyfriend, were arrested on these charges." The fatality report states they were "held without bail in jail on charges of first-degree murder and drug-induced homicide."
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?
The WCIA news article states: "Bowman was charged with felon in possession of a firearm and possession of controlled substances." The charge of "felon in possession of a firearm" necessarily implies that Bowman had a prior felony conviction predating the current incident, as the charge requires prior felon status. This constitutes prior criminal history separate from the child's death.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report states: "The child's mother and the mother's paramour tested positive for cocaine the day of the child's death." It also notes the reporter stated "the mother and child previously smelled of marijuana." The Department indicated the mother and paramour for "substance misuse by abuse (#15)."
Notable Details
The fatality report documents significant systemic failures in child protection. In the six days between the hotline report and the child's death, the child protection investigator never saw the child in person, never contacted the hotline reporter, never observed the home environment, never interviewed the mother in person, and never contacted the child's physicians or specialists. The permanently assigned supervisor was on a 10-day vacation, a temporarily assigned supervisor authorized delaying the in-person visit and then lost the temporary assignment before following up, and the investigator was reassigned to other cases due to the field office being understaffed. The permanent supervisor stated there was "no real time way for supervisors to know if an investigator saw the child or attempted to see the child until the investigator entered their contact notes in SACWIS." The OIG recommended the Department explore technology for real-time tracking of child welfare visits, leading to the development of the IllinoisConnect system.
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