On May 6, 2022, at approximately 12:33 a.m., officers were dispatched to a hotel on Post Drive in Indianapolis for a report of an unresponsive child. One-year-old Erieomairy Dingui was found with visible trauma around her right eye, forehead, and chin, and was transported to Riley Hospital for Children, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be multiple blunt force injuries, ruled a homicide, and the injuries were not caused by a car crash that had occurred on April 30, 2022. Iesha Bryant, the 24-year-old girlfriend of Dingui's mother, was later arrested and charged with Murder, Aggravated Battery, and Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death. According to court documents, the mother heard a loud noise while in the shower, but Bryant said nothing was wrong; the child appeared to be asleep when they laid her down and never woke. The child's mother reported Bryant had anger issues and had been violent with both her and the child on multiple occasions, and the child's grandmother had previously warned DCS that the baby would die if they did not intervene.
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 public records document (INME_22_Dingui.pdf) lists the cause of death as "MULTIPLE BLUNT FORCE INJURIES" with a manner of death of "Homicide." The WRTV article states "Dingui had suffered visible trauma around her right eye, forehead and underneath her chin" and that these injuries "were not caused by the car accident." The fox59 article reports that the Marion County Coroner's Office "determined the cause of death to be multiple blunt force injuries" with a manner of homicide, indicating 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?
The WRTV article states: "On April 30, 2022, Bryant and Dingui were involved in a car crash that left bruising around Dingui's eyes." While this crash did not cause the death, a motor vehicle crash is explicitly mentioned in connection with the case.
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?
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)?
The WRTV article explicitly states: "Bryant is the girlfriend of Dingui's mother." Iesha Bryant, the mother's female paramour, "was arrested and charged with Murder, Aggravated Battery and Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death." She was directly involved in the child's death.
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 WRTV article states: "the child's grandmother allegedly told DCS if they did not step in, the baby would die, according to court documents." This indicates that DCS (Department of Child Services) was contacted with concerns about this child's safety prior to her death, constituting a prior child protection report.
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 WRTV article states: "This week, 24-year-old Iesha Bryant was arrested and charged with Murder, Aggravated Battery and Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The WRTV article states: "The child's mother also told police Bryant had anger issues and had become violent with both her and Dingui on multiple occasions." Bryant was the mother's girlfriend and a member of the household; her repeated violence toward the mother constitutes domestic violence by a caregiver in the home.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
The death occurred in a hotel room. The fox59 article states officers were called to "the Norwood Inn, located at 2349 Post Drive." The WRTV article identifies the location as "the La Quinta Inn, located in the 2300 block of Post Drive." Both sources confirm the death occurred in a hotel, which qualifies as a temporary shelter.
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The WRTV article states that the child's mother told police "Bryant had anger issues and had become violent with both her and Dingui on multiple occasions." The reference to "anger issues" is an informal characterization of Bryant's mental health or behavioral problems.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The WRTV article reports that "the child's grandmother allegedly told DCS if they did not step in, the baby would die, according to court documents." This indicates a potential child welfare system failure where DCS was explicitly warned about the risk to the child's life, yet the child still died. Additionally, a car crash on April 30, 2022, involving Bryant and the child had caused bruising around the child's eyes, which may have complicated the identification of abuse-related injuries. The autopsy specifically noted the fatal injuries "were not caused by the car accident," suggesting investigators had to distinguish between crash-related and inflicted injuries.
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