On the night of August 24-25, 2023, in Solon Township, Kent County, Michigan, 2-month-old Wesley Rau died from asphyxia by suffocation while co-sleeping with his mother, Jennifer Mast (also known as Bates), age 39. A severe thunderstorm had knocked out power to the home that evening, and the baby's father, Steven Rau, was outside attempting to repair a generator. The mother admitted to consuming two vodka mixed drinks, a shot of vodka, and smoking marijuana before going to bed. During the night, she woke, fed and changed Wesley, and brought him from his bouncy seat into bed with her. By morning, when she rolled over, she found the baby cold and not breathing. Drug testing later revealed marijuana and hydrocodone in her system. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be asphyxia by suffocation. First responders described deplorable living conditions in the home, with evidence of drugs, alcohol, and drug paraphernalia. The mother was charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse approximately five months after the baby's death.
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 mother was the sole caregiver for the 2-month-old infant while impaired by alcohol, marijuana, and (per drug testing in the woodtv article) hydrocodone. The father was outside working on a generator. The sheriff stated in the fox17online article: "what contributed to this death was the behavior of the mom" and cited "the co-sleeping, the impairment, and the overall lack of concern for the safety of that child." Caring for a 2-month-old while impaired by multiple substances constitutes a form of 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)?
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 documents describe the unsafe sleeping arrangement in detail. The fox17online article states the mother "laid him in bed with her on the edge of the bed between her and the door" after consuming alcohol and marijuana. The sheriff explained: "It appeared that she inadvertently suffocated the child with her body as she was sleeping." The sheriff further stated: "because the co-sleeping, the impairment, and the overall lack of concern for the safety of that child were present, that's why we're seeking charges." The woodtv article also confirms that co-sleeping while impaired was the central allegation, and the sheriff emphasized: "What I don't want to do is gloss over the importance of understanding how dangerous co-sleeping is for a child of this age."
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 biological mother, Jennifer Mast/Bates, is the person charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse in the death of her son Wesley Rau. The fox17online article states: "It appeared that she inadvertently suffocated the child with her body as she was sleeping." She admitted to drinking alcohol and using marijuana before co-sleeping with the baby. She is explicitly named in charges as causing the child's 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)?
The woodtv article states: "Rau added that Wesley was not the first child he has lost: In 2019, 2-year-old Alaina Rau and her sisters, 6-year-old Cassidy Rodery and 8-year-old Kyrie Rodery, were killed by their mother before the mother, Aubrianne Moore, took her own life." Alaina Rau, sharing the Rau surname with the father Steven Rau, was his biological daughter and therefore Wesley's half-sibling. Her death in 2019 constitutes a history of sibling death in a separate incident.
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The woodtv article states: "Jennifer Bates, 39, was arraigned Wednesday morning on charges of involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse in the death of her son, Wesley Rau." The fox17online article similarly states she "is facing criminal charges of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse in the death of her son" and "was arraigned at Kent County's 63rd District Court Wednesday morning, placed on a $25,000 bond."
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?
Multiple documents detail the mother's substance use. The fox17online article states: "Jennifer stated that she had two vodka mixed drinks and a shot of vodka from the bottle of Popov [vodka]... She stated that she smoked marijuana right before going to bed." The woodtv article adds: "Drug testing found marijuana and the opioid hydrocodone in Bates' system." The fox17online article also notes investigators found "cannabis paraphernalia, and an empty bottle of Popov vodka" and the sheriff described "evidence of ongoing drug use at that home."
Notable Details
Several notable details not addressed by preceding questions are present. First, the woodtv article reveals that the baby's father, Steven Rau, had previously lost three children in a 2019 murder-suicide: "In 2019, 2-year-old Alaina Rau and her sisters, 6-year-old Cassidy Rodery and 8-year-old Kyrie Rodery, were killed by their mother before the mother, Aubrianne Moore, took her own life." This is a significant and unusual family history of child fatality involving the same father. Second, drug testing found hydrocodone (an opioid) in the mother's system per the woodtv article, which she did not disclose in her statement to investigators — she only admitted to alcohol and marijuana. Third, the mother's defense attorney stated that "Bates has other children, but they are no longer in her care," suggesting prior child welfare concerns. Fourth, there is a naming discrepancy: the mother is identified as Jennifer Louise Mast in document 1 and Jennifer Bates in document 2, with the woodtv article noting she "was addressed by the last name Mast" in court. Finally, there is a significant discrepancy in potential sentencing: document 1 states "she could face a sentence of life in prison" while document 2 states "she faces up to 15 years in prison for manslaughter and up to 10 years for child abuse."
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.