A 3-month-old boy was found at a location in the 4000 block of I-35 N. in Waco, Texas, on Wednesday, Nov. 29. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police described his death as "questionable." Two adults at the scene, Skylynn Tuerk (33) and Charles Harris (27), were arrested on two counts of endangering a child for having methamphetamine easily accessible to children, along with possession of meth under 1 gram. A 3-year-old girl also found at the scene was placed in Child Protective Services custody.
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)
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?
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)?
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 news article states that "The Waco Police Department says it has made two arrests in the investigation of a 3-month-old boy's questionable death." Skylynn Tuerk and Charles Harris were arrested on charges of endangering a child and possession of meth. While the specific charges are for child endangerment and drug possession rather than homicide or manslaughter, the arrests were made directly in the context of the death investigation, implying the charges are connected to 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?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The news article states that Skylynn Tuerk and Charles Harris "were arrested on two counts of endangering a child for having meth easily accessible to children. An additional charge of possession of meth under 1 gram was administered." This explicitly references caregiver substance use (methamphetamine possession and accessibility to children).
Notable Details
The news article notes a second child was present at the scene: "they found two children, one was a 3-month-old boy and the other was a 3-year-old girl who is now in Child Protective Services custody." The presence of a surviving sibling (or other child) who was placed in CPS custody and the fact that the location was in the "4000 block of I-35 N." (an interstate highway address) may be relevant context for understanding the household circumstances.
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