Two-month-old Addison Waters was brought to the emergency room on November 26, 2023, in respiratory distress after her 19-year-old father, Hunter Waters, was home alone with her overnight. She was pronounced deceased two days later from blunt force injuries of the head and neck. A child abuse pediatrician documented extensive injuries including head and brain injuries, liver lacerations, a fractured skull, and both healing and non-healing rib fractures indicating abuse had occurred over time. The father admitted to law enforcement that he became frustrated with the infant's crying and repeatedly struck her head against a changing table, a bedroom door, and other hard surfaces, and held her tightly around the rib cage. He was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery and ultimately sentenced to 70 years in prison via a plea agreement.
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 describe inflicted injuries. The fatality report states the father "admitted to law enforcement that he became frustrated with the infant and repeatedly hit her head on multiple hard surfaces." The news article from centralillinoisproud.com states he admitted to "handling her roughly while changing her diaper, striking her head on a changing table" and "held her tightly around the rib cage and struck her head against his bedroom door."
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?
The fatality report identifies the cause of death as "Blunt force injuries of the head and neck" and documents "head and brain injuries." The father admitted to repeatedly striking the infant's head on hard surfaces. The sentencing article states the child died from "catastrophic brain injuries" with a "fractured skull." The 25newsnow.com article quotes the Peoria County Coroner discussing the fragility of infant brain vessels and how aggressive motion causes bleeding in the brain, in the context of this case. These collectively constitute 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?
The fatality report identifies the alleged perpetrator as "Father" and states he "admitted to law enforcement that he became frustrated with the infant and repeatedly hit her head on multiple hard surfaces." News articles identify him as Hunter Waters and confirm he is the child's biological father (the child is named Addison Waters). The sentencing article from centralillinoisproud.com describes him as "A 20-year-old father" who killed "his infant daughter."
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)?
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 reason for review is "One unfounded child protection investigation within one year of child's death." Approximately one year before the infant's death, DCFS received a report regarding the infant's then 17-year-old mother and her 18-year-old brother being left home alone. The maternal grandmother was investigated and unfounded for inadequate supervision (#74). While this prior investigation technically involved the infant's mother as a minor subject (not the deceased child or a sibling), the OIG explicitly links this prior CPS investigation to this child's death review, and it occurred within the same immediate family system.
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 fatality report states "Her father was arrested and has been charged with first degree murder." The news articles identify the father as Hunter R.E. Waters, who was arrested for first-degree murder and aggravated battery. The sentencing article confirms he was "sentenced Monday to 70 years in prison" after a plea agreement.
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?
The fatality report states that school staff "stated it was not appropriate for the mother, who also had intellectual disabilities, to be in a caregiver role for another person." The infant's mother is explicitly identified as having intellectual disabilities.
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 documents. First, the fatality report reveals that the infant's mother had intellectual disabilities and was only 17 when the child was born. School staff explicitly stated "it was not appropriate for the mother, who also had intellectual disabilities, to be in a caregiver role for another person," yet the prior DCFS investigation regarding the mother's caregiving of her disabled brother was unfounded, and she subsequently became a mother herself. Second, the sentencing article from centralillinoisproud.com notes that the father, who was under 21, received a 70-year sentence via plea deal but "is eligible, however, for parole. State law allows anyone who is under 21 to have a parole review after serving 20 years of their sentence." Third, the child's organs were donated, as noted by the Peoria County Coroner in document 2. The child abuse pediatrician also documented "both healing and non-healing injuries to multiple ribs that happened over time," indicating a pattern of prior abuse before the fatal incident.
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