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Inset, left to right: Molly Mckelvey and her daughter Lotus (GoFundMe), and Mickele Kaipolai Ah-Nee (Madison County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The parkway in Alabama where Lotus was found dead last week (Google Maps).
A tragic incident in Alabama has led to the arrest of a 34-year-old father, accused of murdering his 4-month-old daughter after she sustained severe internal injuries.
Mickele Kaipolai Ah-Nee was arrested last week and now faces a charge of murder with domestic violence, according to court documents. The charge is related to the death of his young daughter, Lotus.
Huntsville Police Department officers responded to an emergency call around 1 p.m. on Wednesday in the 11000 block of Memorial Parkway. The call reported an infant who was not breathing, as noted by Augusta, Georgia’s Fox affiliate, WFXG.
Upon their arrival, emergency medical teams performed lifesaving procedures before rushing the baby to a nearby hospital. Sadly, she was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.
The initial investigation revealed that Ah-Nee was alone with Lotus when she ceased breathing. This development triggered the Huntsville Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit to launch a formal investigation and immediately request an autopsy.
The autopsy later revealed evidence of foul play, with Madison County Coroner Dr. Tyler Berryhill determining the cause of death was “complications of traumatic internal injuries,” local NBC affiliate WAFF reported.
Following an interview with Ah-Nee, investigators determined there was probable cause to request an arrest warrant on the domestic violence murder charge.
Following Lotus’ death, the infant’s mother, Molly McKelvey, died the following morning after taking her own life, family members told WAFF.
McKelvey’s older brother, Kristian McKelvey, told the station he had no words to describe how the tragedy would affect him.
“She was the happiest little baby I’d ever seen,” he said of Lotus. “I won’t be able to ever see her grow old.”
He added that Molly McKelvey “was a really awesome little sister.”
Surviving family members started a GoFundMe for the infant and her mother, saying the unexpected deaths had left them “heartbroken and struggling to cope with the emotional and financial challenges that come with saying goodbye to loved ones.”
The page states that Molly McKelvey left behind two young sons as well as “many siblings, her mother, and so many family and friends.”
Ah-Nee is currently being held in the Madison County Jail without bond, records show. In addition to the murder charge, he is also facing one count of driving with an expired license. It was not immediately clear when Ah-Nee was scheduled to appear in court.