Ivy Allen, a 3-year-old girl with non-verbal autism, died on May 12, 2022, after drowning in Clare Lake near her home on Long Beach Lane in Michigan City, Indiana. On the morning of the fatality, her mother reported she had been doing errands inside the home and could not find the child. Witnesses reported seeing Ivy outside and unattended approximately two hours before her parents contacted 911. First responders found her unresponsive along the north shoreline of the lake and performed life-saving measures, but medical professionals were unable to revive her. Both parents tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine. After investigation, both parents—Andrew Allen and Breanne Smith—were charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death. The father ultimately received probation and community service through a plea deal, while the mother was sentenced to 3-6 years in prison.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Multiple sources confirm drowning. The fatality report states: "A 3-year-old girl died by drowning due to lack of supervision." The vital records response lists the cause of death as "ASPHYXIATION; DROWNING." The news articles describe the child being "pulled out of a lake" and found "unresponsive in Clare Lake."
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: "A 3-year-old girl died by drowning due to lack of supervision." It further notes: "Witnesses reported seeing the child outside, unattended, approximately two hours prior to the parents contacting 911." The news article from February 2023 reports that Ivy was "a 3-year-old girl with non-verbal autism who had wandered away from her home." This is a clear case of a child wandering off and drowning due to 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?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The fatality report lists "Father" as a perpetrator and states the child "lived with her parents and siblings." The February 2023 news article identifies the father as "35-year-old Andrew Allen." The child's surname is Allen, matching the father's, and the DCS report uses "Father" without any qualifier (e.g., step-), which in the context of a DCS fatality report typically denotes a biological parent.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report lists "Mother" as a perpetrator and states the child "lived with her parents and siblings." The February 2023 news article identifies the mother as "33-year-old Breanne Smith." The DCS report uses "Mother" without any qualifier, which in the context of a DCS fatality report typically denotes a biological parent.
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)
Multiple sources identify the child as having non-verbal autism. The February 2023 news article describes Ivy as "a 3-year-old girl with non-verbal autism." The May 2022 news article states: "She is non-verbal autistic." The autism memorial entry also identifies her as autistic.
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: "Number of previous unsubstantiated assessments for victim: 2" and "Perpetrator history of substantiated assessments: Father, 0; mother, 2." This documents a clear history of prior child protection reports involving both the victim and the mother's history of substantiated assessments.
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 February 2023 news article states: "both of her parents, who have been identified as 35-year-old Andrew Allen and 33-year-old Breanne Smith, were charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death. Allen and Smith were both taken into custody on Thursday and taken to the LaPorte County Jail." The autism memorial confirms: "Both parents were convicted of neglect, with her mother sentenced to 3-6 years and her father given probation and community service."
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?
The fatality report explicitly states: "The parents tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine."
Notable Details
The autism memorial notes that the father accepted a plea deal and received probation and community service, while the mother was sentenced to 3-6 years in prison. A referenced source title reads "LaPorte prosecutor reaches deal with dad of autistic girl who drowned, will focus on mom," indicating a deliberate prosecutorial strategy to pursue the mother more aggressively. Additionally, the memorial editor's note observes that "neglect charges are not typical for a drowning death, autistic or not, since a moment's inattention does not constitute neglect," highlighting that this case was treated as legally exceptional compared to similar drowning incidents involving autistic children. These sentencing and prosecutorial details are substantive and not captured by other questions.
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.