Airis Edmondson, a 5-to-6-month-old boy from Jeffersonville, Indiana, died in July 2022 from a closed head injury sustained while in the care of Brittany Baylor, a 35-year-old home-based childcare provider. This was the first time the child had ever been left with someone other than his parents. During the day, Baylor sent photos to the parents showing the child alert and healthy, but later reported that the child vomited and became unresponsive. She called 911 and the child was transported to Clark Memorial Hospital and then to Norton Children's Hospital in Louisville, where he died later the same day. The autopsy by the Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office determined the death was due to a closed head injury sustained in an assault, with the force required described as equivalent to a two-story fall. The child had multiple head injuries including retinal hemorrhages. Baylor tested positive for unprescribed Suboxone and claimed the injuries were caused by a police officer dropping the child during CPR. Nearly two years later, in June 2024, Baylor was arrested and charged with aggravated battery resulting in death and neglect of a dependent resulting in 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)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The WHAS11 news article states that "The final autopsy report stated Edmondson's death was due to a closed head injury sustained in an assault." The fatality report notes "The child was found to have several head injuries, including retinal hemorrhages." Court documents describe the force as "akin to falling out the second story window." All of this establishes inflicted injury.
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 states the child had "several head injuries, including retinal hemorrhages." The WHAS11 article reports the autopsy concluded the death was "due to a closed head injury sustained in an assault." While the specific terms "shaken baby syndrome" or "abusive head trauma" are not used, retinal hemorrhages combined with a closed head injury in a 5-6 month old infant caused by assault are the hallmark clinical findings of 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?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
The fatality report identifies the perpetrator as "Babysitter." The WHAS11 article describes Brittany Baylor as "A Jeffersonville resident and home-based childcare provider." The WLKY article also identifies Baylor as the childcare provider in whose care the child was placed.
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 WHAS11 article reports: "35-year-old Brittany Baylor, was charged with aggravated battery resulting in death and neglect of a dependent resulting in death." It further states: "Baylor was arrested Tuesday evening without incident and transported to the Clark County Jail."
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 states: "The babysitter tested positive for unprescribed Suboxone." The babysitter was the caregiver at the time of the fatal event, and this constitutes substance use by the caregiver.
Notable Details
Several substantive details emerge from the source texts. First, there was a nearly two-year delay between the child's death (July 2022) and the arrest (June 2024), driven by protracted medical review; the WHAS11 article notes that the prosecutor sent the detective's report to "doctors at Norton Pediatric Protective Services for review" and it was not returned until May 2024. Second, the WHAS11 article notes a systemic regulatory gap: "Within the state of Indiana childcare services without a certified license is permitted as long as a household does not exceed a certain number of children," meaning Baylor was operating legally without a license. Third, the family attorney stated "There were some indications from some neighbors that it appeared that after this took place that she continued to have children in and out of the home," suggesting Baylor may have continued providing childcare after the fatal incident. Fourth, the WLKY article reports that this was the first time the child had ever been left with someone other than his parents: "Airis had not been away from his parents in 6 months of his life until that day." These details collectively highlight systemic issues with unlicensed childcare oversight and delayed prosecution.
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