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Background: Bodycam footage from the night Micah Taylor died in 2021 (WRDW). Inset: Dakota Taylor (McDuffie County Sheriff”s Office).
In a chilling case that has captured public attention, a young Georgia mother, Dakota Taylor, finds herself charged with the murder of her two infant sons, incidents occurring four years apart. The suspicions surrounding her conduct at both tragic scenes have now led to her arrest.
The unfolding drama began in January with the death of Taylor’s 8-month-old son, Caleb, in Jefferson County, Georgia. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation detained the 21-year-old following a detailed probe. This development comes hot on the heels of her existing incarceration in connection with the 2021 demise of her other child, 7-month-old Micah, in a different county. Reports from local CBS affiliate WRDW have been pivotal, shedding light on both incidents, including body camera footage from the night Micah was discovered motionless at a DeKalb County group home on September 13, 2021.
WRDW’s investigation revealed that responding officers were struck by Taylor’s seemingly indifferent demeanor during the frantic attempts to save Micah’s life. This nonchalance was noted as a point of concern in the broader investigation.
The narrative took a disturbing turn on the evening of January 8 when Taylor arrived at a family member’s residence with Caleb. Witnesses from the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services reported that she arrived around 8 p.m., but instead of handing over the infant, she closed the car door, obscuring the child’s condition from immediate view.
Caleb was eventually taken inside the house, still in his car seat. When the blanket covering him was lifted, a relative noticed the unsettling sight of a diaper partly covering his face, and the baby’s lips and face appeared blue. Despite hurried efforts to revive him, Caleb was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
According to arrest warrants connected to the investigation into Caleb’s death, authorities said Taylor suffocated her baby to death.
WRDW’s reporting on the GBI investigation stated that Taylor told authorities that Caleb was happy and laughing when she picked him up earlier the same day at 3:30 p.m. She later said he was drowsy and took a nap while she watched a movie with him at her grandmother’s house. While there, she fed him and he fell asleep again. Taylor said that after she brought Caleb to another relative’s house, he passed away shortly after they arrived.
But according to WRDW’s reporting, the GBI discovered that this was not the first time one of Taylor’s babies died in her care. On Sept. 13, 2021, Taylor was living at a group home with her 7-month-old son Micah, where they were under the watch of DFCS. An employee of the group home told DFCS that late that evening, Taylor gave Micah a bath after he became ill following a feeding. When Taylor returned, the little boy was unconscious.
The employee called 911 and began CPR on the baby. After paramedics and police arrived, they noted that Taylor’s behavior was unusual while her baby was receiving lifesaving procedures and being put in an ambulance. Body camera footage obtained by WRDW and the GBI included an officer reportedly saying, “I don’t know if this has anything to do with anything, but the mother, didn’t… She was very… Like, ‘Alright, whatever.’ And I was like, ‘Your baby is…’” Another officer reportedly described Taylor’s attitude at the scene as “nonchalant.”
DFCS told authorities that Taylor also had two other children who were in foster care.
Following an investigation into both babies’ deaths, Taylor was arrested and charged with two counts each of malice murder, felony murder and cruelty to children. She was previously being held at McDuffie County Jail in connection with the death of her son Caleb. Jail records show that she has been released, and it is unclear where she is being held as of Monday. Taylor is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 11.