Inset, top to bottom: Benjamin J. Tackett and Kayla T. Thompson (Jennings County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area in North Vernon, Indiana, where the couple lived with their 8-month-old daughter (Google Maps).
Authorities in Indiana have apprehended a couple accused of severely neglecting their eight-month-old daughter, allegedly confining her to a separate room for up to ten hours during their sleep. On Wednesday, Benjamin Joseph Tackett and Kayla Therese Thompson, both 25, were charged with two counts each of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily harm, alongside additional charges of neglect, as announced by local officials.
The Jennings County Sheriff’s Office detailed in a press release that they were alerted by the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) regarding a potential case of child neglect. This prompted detectives to launch an investigation into the alarming claims.
The investigation uncovered that the infant was suffering from extreme malnutrition, neglect related to hygiene, serious dermatitis, and developmental issues, according to the report. Shockingly, the child weighed just nine pounds at the age of eight months.
Authorities discovered other children residing in the household, who were subsequently removed and placed with suitable caregivers. The family’s home is located on the 3300 block of Rothshire Circle in North Vernon, roughly 65 miles southeast of Indianapolis.
Detectives conducted interviews with several medical professionals and DCS workers. They also spoke with the other children living in the residence before interrogating Tackett and Thompson.
In interviews conducted after being read their Miranda rights, both parents allegedly confessed to being aware of and deliberately neglecting their daughter, according to police statements.
“Benjamin and Kayla advised detectives during interviews that they were tired after work, and at times locked the child in a separate bedroom for approximately 10 hours at a time so they could sleep,” the release states. “At the conclusion of the investigation, detectives requested an arrest warrant for Benjamin Tackett and Kayla Thompson.”
A probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime provided additional details about the case, including previous DCS reports involving the victim’s “severe malnourishment, hygiene issues, and developmental delays attributed to caregiver neglect without underlying medical causes.”
The couple allegedly admitted to missing multiple medical appointments for their daughter and conceded that her weight “was due to lack of effort from mom and dad.”
Neither Tackett nor Thompson has previously been charged with a crime in Indiana, court records show.
The mother and father were both booked and processed into the Jennings County Jail and are currently scheduled to appear in court before Circuit Judge Murielle S. Bright on Nov. 13.
