L.B., a 4-month-old girl in Marysville, Washington, died on August 26, 2023, after her father, Bailey Bulger, placed her face-down on the bed and held her there for approximately two minutes to stop her crying, resulting in suffocation. The father admitted to police that he had done this 30 to 40 times previously, claiming it was to relieve the baby's gas pain, despite knowing he should not do so. The mother was present during the fatal incident and was aware of the father's practice but did not effectively intervene. After the father believed the baby had fallen asleep, both parents lay in bed watching television for about an hour before discovering the infant was cold and her face was discolored. Emergency services were called but the baby was pronounced dead at the scene. The family had six prior contacts with Child Protective Services regarding concerns about the children, including issues with Safe Sleep practices, lack of prenatal care, and missed medical appointments. Both parents were initially arrested for second-degree murder and homicide by abuse, though charges against the mother were later dropped pending further investigation.
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 admitted to pushing L.B.'s face into the mattress to get [the child] to stop crying." The Fox13 article further elaborates: "he put the baby face-down in her bed and held her there 'to get her to stop crying.' He said that she cried and struggled a lot as he forced her into the bed for roughly two minutes." The heraldnet article adds: "Bulger demonstrated to detectives how he would place his daughter facedown, holding his hand over the back of her head."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The fatality report states that prior allegations included "lack of medical follow-up for the children" and "lack of prenatal care and resources to care for the newborn (L.B.)." Additionally, the report notes that the mother "had limited prenatal care" and that "L.B.'s newborn check-up was missed, but rescheduled."
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)?
The heraldnet article reports the father told police he "had put his daughter facedown on the bed, as he had done '30 to 40' times in the past, though he knew he 'shouldn't have.'" The Fox13 article states the baby "cried and struggled a lot as he forced her into the bed." This describes a repeated pattern of forcibly restraining a 4-month-old infant face-down despite her evident distress, carried out over an extended period (the child's life), meeting the criteria for prolonged restraint extending beyond typical physical abuse.
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
The fatality report states that the hospital referrer reported the mother "was not following hospital directives about Safe Sleep by covering the infant's face with blankets, and had provided conflicting information about what resources she had to provide a safe sleep environment for the infant at home." The report also notes the family had a pack and play that was not set up, and the caseworker had to assist the father in assembling it. Multiple references to Safe Sleep education being provided to the family across three DCYF cases also underscore the concern.
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
All sources identify the father as the person who caused L.B.'s death. The heraldnet article identifies him as Bailey Bulger and states he and his fiancée "shared three children together," confirming he is the biological father. The fatality report states "the father admitted to pushing L.B.'s face into the mattress to get [the child] to stop crying."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report states "The mother was reportedly present at the time this occurred." The Fox13 article notes the mother "was 'uneasy' about" the father's method of pushing the baby but that "she told investigators she and the father had fights over it," implying awareness without effective intervention. The heraldnet article states the fiancée "would tell him he needed to be careful because their daughter had to breathe" and told him "several times" she didn't like it. She was initially arrested for the same charges but prosecutors dropped the case. Her presence and awareness suggest involvement through failure to protect.
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)?
The fatality report explicitly states: "Prior to L.B.'s death, DCYF received six calls reporting concerns of negligent treatment of the family's three children. Three reports led to two CPS-Family Assessment Response (CPS-FAR) cases and one CPS risk-only investigation." The cases spanned from January 2021 through June 2023.
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 parents were arrested. The fatality report states the parents were "arrested with pending charges of Murder in the Second Degree." The Fox13 article confirms: "Both parents were arrested and booked into Snohomish County Jail for second-degree murder and homicide by abuse." The heraldnet article identifies the father as Bailey Bulger. While the mother's charges were subsequently dropped at a court hearing, both were initially arrested and charged.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The heraldnet article states the father was arrested for "investigation of domestic violence murder in the second degree and domestic violence homicide by abuse." While the "domestic violence" designation in Washington state law applies to intra-family crimes (here, against the child), the term is explicitly used in the charges. Additionally, the Fox13 article reports the mother "told investigators she and the father had fights over it," referencing conflict between the parents regarding the father's treatment of the baby.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report states: "despite three DCYF cases with the family it was still unclear if the mother had an unmet need regarding a suspected cognitive disability." The report also references "The 2021 M.A.S.C. decision outlined the agency's requirement to investigate if there is a suspicion or known disability" and discusses the need for guidance on "supporting parents with suspected or identified disabilities."
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?
Notable Details
Several substantive details emerge from the sources that were not covered by preceding questions. The heraldnet article reports the father told police he had placed his daughter face-down on the bed "30 to 40" times before, establishing a recurring pattern of dangerous behavior over the infant's entire life. The family was under severe economic stress—the heraldnet article states they "were being evicted from their apartment because they owed around $4,000 in rent" and the father said he had "no one to rely on." The fatality report's Committee discussion highlighted significant systemic issues: the lack of DCYF policy guidance for caseworkers working with parents who have suspected or diagnosed disabilities (the mother's suspected cognitive disability was never confirmed or addressed across three cases), staff shortages leading to increased caseloads that limited caseworkers' ability to build relationships with reluctant families, and the recommendation to develop community-based pathways to connect families with screened-out intakes to services as a prevention measure.
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