On July 29, 2022, four-month-old Silas Perry died of positional asphyxia at his parents' apartment in Otterbein, Tippecanoe County, Indiana. His father, Joshua Perry, placed him to sleep in a pack 'n play with his head resting on a concave pillow. Both parents then left the apartment for approximately four hours; when they returned, they found Silas lying face down, blue, and unresponsive. Officers who responded detected heavy alcohol odors on both parents. Security footage confirmed the parents had left the apartment complex entirely, contradicting their initial statements to police. The couple waited at least 20 minutes after returning home before calling 911. Notably, five days earlier, the parents had left Silas unattended in their car in 84-degree weather while shopping at CVS, prompting a 911 call and a DCS visit the following day where the case manager found Silas sleeping improperly and educated the parents on safe sleep practices. Both parents were charged with and pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death. Harrington was sentenced to 25 years in prison plus five years of probation.
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 jconline article states Harrington left "the child unattended in an unsafe sleeping position for several hours." The WTHR article confirms: "Officers reviewed security footage from the apartment complex, which confirmed the couple left Silas alone in the apartment for four hours." Additionally, the earlier CVS incident involved leaving the infant unattended in a car for 13 minutes. Both incidents describe 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)?
The WTHR article describes a prior incident on July 24, 2022 in which "Kelsey Harrington, 32, and Silas' father, Joshua Perry, left Silas unattended in their car while the couple went inside a local CVS Pharmacy." It further states: "Officers reviewed security footage and discovered Harrington and Perry were in the store for a total of 13 minutes while their son was inside their car with a blanked over him in 84-degree weather." This constitutes a hot car incident.
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?
Multiple sources describe an unsafe sleeping environment. The WTHR article states: "Perry told officers he put Silas to sleep in a pack 'n play, resting his head on a concave pillow." The jconline article describes the child being "left unattended in an unsafe sleeping position for several hours." Additionally, the WTHR article notes a DCS case manager who visited the day before the death "found baby Silas was sleeping improperly" and "informed the parents that their son should be placed on his back in a crib, pack 'n play, bassinet or cradle without any toys, stuffed animals, pillows or blankets."
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Joshua Perry is identified as the biological father. The WTHR article refers to him as "Silas' father, Joshua Perry." Both news articles state he was charged with and pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death. He was directly involved in the child's care on the night of the death, having put Silas to sleep and left the apartment for four hours.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Kelsey Harrington is identified as the biological mother. The jconline article states she "found the lifeless body of her 4-month-old son, Silas." Both news articles state she was charged with and pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death. She was directly involved in the child's care on the night of the death and left the apartment for four hours.
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 WTHR article describes multiple prior child welfare contacts. First, "Perry signed a form acknowledging him and the caseworker had gone over safe sleeping practices earlier in May," indicating DCS involvement months before the death. Second, on July 24, 2022, a bystander called 911 after finding Silas left unattended in a hot car, and "the next day, a case manager with the Indiana Department of Child Services visited Harrington and Perry's home and found baby Silas was sleeping improperly." These DCS contacts all predated the July 29 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?
Both parents were charged and pleaded guilty. The jconline article states: "Both Perry and Harrington are charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and neglect of a dependent." The WTHR article confirms Harrington "will serve at least 25 years in prison, with the remaining five years to be served on probation." The jconline article states that Joshua Perry "also pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death."
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?
Both news articles describe the parents' alcohol use on the night of the child's death. The jconline article states: "officers arriving to investigate Silas' death found Perry and Harrington, 31, smelled of alcohol." The WTHR article corroborates: "officers detected heavy odors of alcohol coming from the parents' breaths."
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. First, the WTHR article describes a significant prior incident just five days before Silas's death: on July 24, 2022, the parents left Silas in their car while shopping at CVS for 13 minutes in 84-degree weather, which led to a 911 call and a DCS visit the very next day. Despite the DCS case manager instructing the parents on safe sleep practices, and despite Perry having signed a safe sleeping practices form in May, the parents placed Silas in an unsafe sleeping position and left him alone for four hours on July 29. The WTHR article also notes: "The footage also showed that the couple did not call 911 for at least 20 minutes after they returned home," indicating a delayed emergency response even after discovering the unresponsive child. These details illustrate a pattern of repeated warnings and child welfare system contacts that failed to prevent the child's death.
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