Noah Womack, a 28-day-old boy, died on March 12, 2024, in Evansville, Indiana, from suffocation ruled a homicide. His father, Samuel C. Womack (age 25), was caring for the child while the mother was at work. The father called 911 after finding the infant unresponsive with blood coming from his nose and mouth. After initially providing inconsistent accounts, the father eventually admitted to placing a pacifier in the child's mouth, positioning the child face down in a bassinet so the pacifier would stay in place, and applying force to the child's head for two to three minutes until he believed the child was asleep. The father also reported experiencing auditory hallucinations that told him to do things. The autopsy confirmed death while lying facedown and noted an injury to the child's lip. Samuel Womack was arrested approximately one month later, charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death (a Level 1 felony), found guilty by jury in October 2024, and sentenced to 20 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)?
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 fatality report states the father "applied force to the child's head for two to three minutes until he thought the child was asleep." The child was also "observed to have an injury to his bottom lip." The courierpress article corroborates this, noting Womack "had applied 'a little force' to keep a pacifier in the child's mouth." These describe deliberate physical force applied to the infant.
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?
The fatality report states the father "placed the child face down in the bassinet so the pacifier would stay in place," which is an inherently unsafe sleeping position for an infant. The courierpress article further details that the father left "the victim's face flat against the bassinet mattress" with a pacifier in the child's mouth. Placing an infant face down in a bassinet constitutes 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 identifies the perpetrator as "Father" and states the child "lived with his parents and a sibling." The news articles identify the father as Samuel Womack. The courierpress article refers to the child as "his one-month-old son." All sources consistently indicate the biological father was the perpetrator responsible for the child's 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)?
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 fatality report states "Criminal charges: Yes." The 14news article reports "Womack was arrested and charged Friday with the neglect of a dependent causing death." The courierpress article confirms "Samuel C. Womack, 25, was sentenced Monday after a jury returned a guilty verdict in his case in October. Womack had been charged with neglect of a dependent, resulting in death, a Level 1 felony." The tristatehomepage article adds he "was sentenced to twenty years in prison."
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 fatality report explicitly states: "The father stated he had auditory hallucinations with different voices telling him to do things, which he sometimes did." This is a direct reference to the father's mental health, specifically auditory hallucinations, which is a symptom commonly associated with psychotic disorders.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details not addressed by the preceding questions may materially affect a researcher's understanding. First, the father's statements were inconsistent throughout the investigation. The 14news article states: "Womack initially told officers that the baby was positioned on their back when put to sleep, but he later said that he placed the infant on their stomach." The courierpress article describes how autopsy findings were presented to Womack during a follow-up interview, at which point he admitted to the pacifier and applying force. The fatality report provides the most detailed account, noting the father "eventually admitted that he put a pacifier in the child's mouth, placed the child face down in the bassinet so the pacifier would stay in place, and applied force to the child's head for two to three minutes." There is also a notable discrepancy between the DCS report's description of force applied "for two to three minutes" and the courierpress article's characterization of "a little force." Finally, Womack was convicted by jury trial and sentenced to 20 years in prison, with the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor making a strong public statement: "We will always ask for the highest allowable sentences for those who kill babies."
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