Left: Taryn Strait. Right: De’Varius D. Keys (Dane County Jail).
In a heartbreaking case from Wisconsin, a mother and her boyfriend prioritized their own meals over the well-being of their newborn son, who was suffering from severe malnutrition. The infant, Dev’Kumar Keys, tragically passed away at just three weeks old, prompting significant legal repercussions for his parents.
Taryn L. Strait, aged 22, has been sentenced to an eight-year prison term after entering a guilty plea for felony child neglect. Her partner and the infant’s father, 27-year-old De’Varius D. Keys, admitted to the same charge and awaits sentencing next month, according to court documents.
Details from a criminal complaint, as reported by Law&Crime, reveal that Dev’Kumar’s death occurred on February 1, 2024, in Sun Prairie, near Madison. An autopsy revealed the infant weighed just 5 pounds, over a pound less than at birth. Investigators discovered that the couple primarily fed him almond milk due to Strait’s difficulties with breastfeeding, and she refused to use formula.
Strait reportedly told investigators that she believed all brands of baby formula contained lead, based on videos she watched online depicting magnets extracting lead from formula, according to the complaint.
On the day of Dev’Kumar’s death, Strait noticed around 2:30 a.m. that he appeared unwell in his bassinet, with a blue tint to his face. Upon picking him up, the infant became limp. Instead of calling 911, Strait opted to drive him to the hospital to avoid ambulance expenses.
Medical staff attempted to revive Dev’Kumar, but their efforts were in vain, and the infant was pronounced dead.
Investigators later learned Dev’Kumar had a doctor’s appointment a few days after his birth. Concerned the boy was losing weight, doctors told the parents to increase his feeding schedule to every two hours. Medical staff set a doctor’s appointment for two weeks later but the parents never showed up and did not answer subsequent messages.
Dane County Child Protective Services was notified and attempted to call the parents but “no one answered so messages were left,” cops wrote. Clinic staff eventually got a hold of Strait and offered appointments in the coming days. But she said it was “too short of notice” and never scheduled any future appointments.
An autopsy confirmed the boy died of starvation and dehydration.
During the sentencing, prosecutors admonished Strait for not putting her son’s needs first.
“You protect and nourish your child,” Assistant District Attorney Will Davis said, per local NBC affiliate WJFW. “Ms. Strait does none of those things.”
Her attorney reportedly blamed her client’s mental health problems along with her addictions to drug and alcohol. Keys was also abusive toward Strait, her lawyer claimed. Strait reportedly apologized, acknowledged her behavior was wrong and said her son’s death will have “a lot of impact” on her for the rest of her life.
Circuit Judge Nicholas McNamara said he couldn’t fathom the selfishness Strait showed by ordering food and having sex with her boyfriend “while the starving baby was there.”
The case also raised questions about CPS, and why it did not do more to help the boy before he died. WJFW obtained a copy of a summary report for Dev’Kumar’s death that said the agency’s initial assessment “found insufficient evidence to substantiate neglect of the infant by the parents.”
“The agency closed the case upon completion of the Initial Assessment, and no service referrals were made,” the document stated.
It then closed the case. The agency has declined to elaborate on why it did not check on the boy.
Keys is slated to be sentenced on Nov. 20.
