Background: Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Ind. (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Nicolas Arnett and Shelby Langford (Madison County Prosecutor”s Office).
An Indiana couple has been sentenced to lengthy prison terms following the tragic death of their infant daughter, who suffered multiple severe injuries.
In December 2025, Nicolas Arnett, 29, and Shelby Langford, 24, were found guilty of neglect leading to catastrophic injury or death of a dependent, as determined by a jury trial. This past Monday, nearly two years after their arrest in connection with the fatal injuries of their 17-month-old daughter Kamryn, the couple faced sentencing. Arnett received a 40-year prison term, while Langford was sentenced to 38 years. More details can be found in the official sentencing announcement here.
According to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, on December 5, 2023, Arnett and Langford called emergency services, reporting that their 10-month-old daughter, Kamryn, was having difficulty breathing. Upon her arrival at the hospital, medical staff observed multiple injuries on Kamryn and alerted law enforcement.
Medical personnel informed police that Kamryn had numerous bruises in various stages of healing. Her body temperature was critically low at 90.8 degrees Fahrenheit, and her blood sugar levels were alarmingly high. Arnett suggested that her condition might have been related to a previous infection diagnosis, and speculated that Kamryn could be anemic. He also noted that their 3-year-old child was often “rough” with her.
Authorities reported that a doctor examining Kamryn identified an “old fracture” in her spine. The doctor further noted inconsistencies in the accounts provided by Arnett and Langford.
The affidavit revealed that after Kamryn was transferred to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, police interviewed Arnett and Langford. The couple informed officers that Kamryn was in a back brace due to “a severe spinal and head injury.” Additionally, she was diagnosed with “slipped discs by her hip,” which hindered her ability to walk, and she had experienced a stroke along with four seizures.
Langford denied that she harmed Kamryn, telling police that since she and Arnett lost another baby in 2021, she treated Kamryn like “a porcelain baby doll” out of precaution. Both Arnett and Langford cited an alleged scuffle with Arnett’s mother and sister, after which the sister landed on top of the baby. The sister said she did not remember landing on the baby.
When the Department of Children’s Services spoke to police about its findings, the department said Kamryn’s injuries were “traumatic” rather than due to an accident or medical condition. Arnett and Langford were arrested and charged with neglect of a dependent in March 2024.
Kamryn died in September 2024, according to the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office.
