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Inset: Oliver Young (Huntington County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Indiana hospital where Young’s son died (Google Maps).
In a tragic and deeply disturbing case emerging from Indiana, a 24-year-old father faces serious charges after allegedly abusing his newborn son, who tragically died as a result. The young father, identified as Oliver Clayton Lee Young, reportedly yelled at his infant to “shut the f— up” and subsequently searched online for methods to pass a lie-detector test and prepare for a lengthy prison stay.
Authorities detained Young last week, charging him with neglect resulting in death, aggravated battery of a minor, and domestic battery causing serious injury. These charges arise from a grim investigation launched following reports of the infant’s suspicious injuries.
The investigation was triggered on October 17, 2025, when a family case manager alerted Huntington City Police. They reported that a baby had been admitted to Parkview Huntington Hospital with injuries that appeared non-accidental, as noted by Fort Wayne’s local ABC and NBC affiliate, WPTA.
The case came to light after a pediatrician, during a routine checkup, noticed an unusual bruise on the infant’s back. Concerned, the doctor advised Young and the child’s mother to seek immediate medical attention at the emergency room. The mother had suggested the bruise might have been caused by the baby rolling over onto his pacifier, yet the doctor found this explanation implausible given the baby’s young age. Alarmingly, the infant also exhibited a blood spot in his eye.
Further medical examinations revealed the infant likely suffered from a brain bleed, leading to his transfer to Riley Children’s Hospital in critical condition. The case underscores the horrific reality of infant abuse and the urgent need for vigilance and intervention in such dire situations.
While being treated at Riley, the mark on the infant’s back faded and doctors said it was likely a “Mongolian mark,” a common birthmark that typically fades in a few years, Fort Wayne CBS affiliate WANE reported.
Just over a week later, on Oct. 29, 2025, the victim’s mother called 911 after finding her son unresponsive. Medics rushed the infant to the hospital where doctors reportedly said he had suffered severe head trauma, internal bleeding, and exhibited “virtually no brain activity,” according to WPTA.
The boy was airlifted to Riley Children’s Hospital for the second time that month. Doctors found that the baby had suffered a fractured femur that was already healing and several fractured ribs due to non-accidental trauma. The medical staff concluded that the child’s injuries were likely caused by violent shaking or forceful squeezing.
A subsequent autopsy conducted by the Marion County Coroner’s Office reportedly determined that the baby’s manner of death was a homicide and the cause of death was craniocerebral trauma.
A female witness who was in the home when the baby’s mother called 911 told police that earlier that morning, she heard Young yell at the baby to “shut the f— up,” WANE reported. The witness added that she saw Young take the crying child into the bathroom several times, reportedly saying she could hear muffled cries coming from inside.
Police performing a forensic search of Young’s phone said that on the morning of Oct. 29, he was reading a Quora article titled: “I’m a 22 year old man who’s going to prison for 50 years. It will also be my first visit. What advice do people have for me?”
Two days later, he reportedly viewed an article titled: “How to Cheat a Polygraph Test (Lie Detector): 9 Hacks & Prep Tips.”
Young’s earlier search history had been manually deleted, per WANE.
Young is currently being held in the Huntington County Jail on $150,000 bond, jail records show. He is currently scheduled to appear in court again for a pretrial conference on April 6.