A Wisconsin couple has been sentenced to prison following the tragic death of their infant son, who died from starvation while his parents indulged in a substantial meal. The heart-wrenching case saw De’Varius D. Keys, 27, sentenced to eight years in prison, accompanied by four years of probation, as per court documents.

His girlfriend, 22-year-old Taryn L. Strait, received an identical sentence last month. Both individuals entered guilty pleas to felony charges of child neglect for their roles in the death of their 3-week-old son, Dev’Kumar Keys. The couple’s neglectful actions led to the boy’s death in Sun Prairie, a suburb of Madison, on February 1, 2024.

According to the criminal complaint, an autopsy revealed that Dev’Kumar weighed a mere five pounds at the time of his death, having lost over a pound from his birth weight. Investigations uncovered that the couple predominantly fed the baby almond milk, as Strait faced difficulties in producing breast milk and was adamant against using formula.

Strait’s refusal to use formula was explained by her belief that all baby formulas contained lead, a conviction she held after watching online videos showing magnets allegedly drawing lead out of formula, as noted in the complaint.

The night of Dev’Kumar’s death, Strait reportedly checked on him around 2:30 a.m. and noticed he looked unwell, with his face appearing blue. Upon picking him up, she found him limp. Instead of calling 911, the couple rushed him to the hospital, concerned about the potential costs associated with an ambulance call.

Medical personnel tried to save the boy but he died.

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 ahold 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 the agency 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.

The agency has declined to elaborate on why it did not check on the boy.