On July 27, 2023, five-year-old Rayleigh Bloyd was shot and killed by her mother, Tracy Bondurant (age 43), inside their home in the 100 block of Kinkaid Drive in Lafayette, Indiana (Tippecanoe County), in a murder-suicide. Rayleigh lived with her parents and siblings. On the day of the fatality, the child and mother were home alone. When the father was unable to contact the mother, he sent relatives to check on them; the mother and child were found deceased. Bondurant had been diagnosed with depression and had received mental health treatment but was not consistent with taking her medication. The Tippecanoe County Coroner ruled Rayleigh's death a homicide (gunshot wound of the head) and Bondurant's death a suicide. There was no prior DCS involvement with the family and no history of child protection assessments.
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?
All three documents reference a firearm incident. The medical examiner report (INME_2023_RB.pdf) lists the cause of death as "GUNSHOT WOUND OF HEAD" with ICD-10 code X95 (Assault by other and unspecified firearm discharge). The DCS report states "A 5-year-old girl died from a gunshot wound." The news article states "Tracy Bondurant shot her 5-year-old daughter."
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 medical examiner report (INME_2023_RB.pdf) lists the cause of death as "GUNSHOT WOUND OF HEAD" and manner of death as "Homicide." The DCS report states "A 5-year-old girl died from a gunshot wound." The news article confirms "Tracy Bondurant shot her 5-year-old daughter, Rayleigh Bloyd." This constitutes an inflicted injury by firearm.
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?
The DCS report (INDCS_2023_RB.pdf) states "The mother and child were found deceased from an apparent murder/suicide." The news article confirms: "Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello ruled Rayleigh's death a homicide and Bondurant's death was a suicide."
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?
The DCS report (INDCS_2023_RB.pdf) explicitly identifies the "Perpetrator: Mother" and describes: "The mother and child were found deceased from an apparent murder/suicide." The news article identifies the mother as Tracy Bondurant and states she "shot her 5-year-old daughter, Rayleigh Bloyd."
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)?
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?
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?
The DCS report (INDCS_2023_RB.pdf) explicitly states: "The mother had been depressed and received mental health treatment but was not consistent with taking her medication." This directly references the mother's mental health status, including a diagnosis of depression and a history of mental health treatment.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
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.