On June 25, 2023, police responded to Centre Parkway in Lexington, Kentucky, and found a 2-month-old (8-week-old) male infant dead in his parents' apartment. An autopsy revealed 12-14 bite marks at different stages of healing on the baby's face, arms, and legs, extensive bruising on all extremities and scalp, and at least six internal head injuries—which were ruled the cause of death. There was also internal bleeding in the child's skull, eyes, and scalp. The parents, Chendra Magar and Rahar Maya Rai, initially blamed the baby's 4-year-old sibling for all injuries; a dentist confirmed the bite marks were consistent with a child's bite-size. The father admitted to drinking alcohol daily while caring for the infant and never noticing the injuries. The mother admitted to leaving the 4-year-old alone with the baby multiple times, witnessing abuse by the sibling one to two weeks prior to the death, and never seeking medical attention—the baby's last doctor visit was at four weeks of age. Both parents were arrested approximately nine months after the death and charged with criminal abuse in the second degree, with additional charges possible.
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 WTVQ article states the mother "admitted to allowing a 4-year-old sibling to be alone with the 2-month-old multiple times and had caught the 4-year-old abusing the child one week prior to his death." The father "admitted he never noticed any injuries to the child's body and also admitted to drinking alcohol every day when at home with the infant." This constitutes inappropriate supervision of the infant.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Both documents describe inflicted injuries. The WTVQ article states "the child had bite marks on his face, arms and legs that were at different stages of healing. There was also internal bleeding in the child's skull, eyes and scalp." The LEX 18 article states the detective testified "there were 12-14 bite marks evident on the baby" and "I observed a lot of bruising on all of his extremities as well as bruising on his scalp," and "the autopsy showed at least six internal head injuries." The injuries were attributed to the 4-year-old sibling.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Both documents describe medical neglect. The WTVQ article states the mother "never sought medical attention for the 2-month-old." The LEX 18 article further details: "despite having visible proof of injuries and witnessing some of the abusive behavior, the detective said they didn't seek medical attention for their baby. His previous doctor's appointment was at four weeks of age and he died at eight weeks."
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?
While the terms "shaken baby" or "abusive head trauma" are not explicitly used, the LEX 18 article reports "the autopsy showed at least six internal head injuries, which were ruled the cause of death," and the WTVQ article describes "internal bleeding in the child's skull, eyes and scalp." Multiple internal head injuries with bleeding in the skull, eyes, and scalp in a 2-month-old infant, occurring in a context of abuse, strongly imply 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?
The WTVQ article identifies Chendra Magar as the father. He was charged with criminal abuse 2nd degree. "According to the father's citation, he admitted he never noticed any injures to the child's body and also admitted to drinking alcohol every day when at home with the infant." Both documents describe him as one of the "parents" of the child.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The WTVQ article identifies Rahar Maya Rai as the mother. She was charged with criminal abuse 2nd degree. "According to the mother's arrest citation, she admitted to allowing a 4-year-old sibling to be alone with the 2-month-old multiple times and had caught the 4-year-old abusing the child one week prior to his death. She allegedly also never sought medical attention for the 2-month-old."
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?
Both documents describe the 4-year-old sibling's involvement. The LEX 18 article states: "When police and fire officials found the infant unresponsive in June, they claimed the baby's 4-year-old sibling was responsible for all of the injuries." The WTVQ article states the mother "had caught the 4-year-old abusing the child one week prior to his death." A dentist confirmed bite marks were "consistent with a child's bite-size," and the father described an incident where "the 4-year-old sibling was caught dumping him face down into a mop bucket attempting to give him a bath."
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?
Both documents confirm the parents were arrested and charged. The WTVQ article states: "You are both charged with one count of criminal abuse 2nd degree- a child under 12. A Class D Felony." The LEX 18 article states: "Magar and Rai were both bound to the Grand Jury with probable cause and are now facing an indictment on criminal abuse charges."
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 WTVQ article states that the father "admitted to drinking alcohol every day when at home with the infant."
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from these documents. First, the parents required an interpreter during court proceedings (LEX 18: "listening to the testimony through an interpreter"), suggesting they are non-English speakers—their names (Magar and Rai) are associated with Nepali/Bhutanese communities. Second, both parents initially blamed the 4-year-old sibling for all injuries, and a dentist consulted during the autopsy partially corroborated this by confirming the bite marks were "consistent with a child's bite-size" (LEX 18 article). Third, there was a roughly nine-month delay between the child's death in June 2023 and the parents' arrest—the WTVQ article notes arrests occurred on "March 6" (apparently 2024, though the article erroneously states 2023, which predates the June 2023 death). Finally, the charges are criminal abuse 2nd degree rather than homicide, with the WTVQ article noting "more charges could be added later."
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.