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Inset, left to right: Katherine Carter and Trevor Reichard-Hayes (Tell City Police Dept.). Background: The area in Indiana where the toddler died (Google Maps).
An Indiana couple faces serious charges after allegedly causing the death of a 2-year-old boy under their care. The child reportedly suffered from extreme malnutrition to the point where he consumed pieces of the wall and diapers to survive.
Authorities have charged Trevor Reichard-Hayes, 39, and Katherine Carter, 31, with murder, neglect leading to death, and additional counts of neglect resulting in serious injury to a dependent. They were apprehended last week following the tragic incident involving young Erik Reichard.
The specific nature of the relationship between the couple and the child remains unclear at this time.
According to a statement released by the Tell City Police Department, officers were dispatched to a residence on Guttenberg Lane shortly after 1 p.m. on March 31 following a 911 report of an unresponsive child. Despite immediate efforts to resuscitate him, the boy was declared dead at the scene.
Law enforcement and other agencies, including the Perry County Coroner’s Office and the Indiana Department of Child Services, conducted an extensive investigation at the residence. During this process, two other children were removed from the home for their safety, according to officials.
Court documents obtained by Evansville, Indiana, NBC affiliate WFIE provided additional alleged details about the circumstances of Erik’s death, including that Reichard-Hayes placed the 911 call, telling the dispatcher that Carter had found the child unresponsive.
Authorities said the parents had not seen their son alive since 11 p.m. the previous evening, about 14 hours before the call for help was placed. Based on his condition, it was believed that Erik had likely been dead for several hours by the time help arrived.
Police and court documents paint a disturbing picture of the conditions inside the home. Officers observed feces on the floor in children’s bedrooms, along with drywall debris, paint chips, dirt, and pieces of soiled diapers scattered throughout. Insects were also found throughout the residence.
The toddler himself appeared “extremely skinny” and malnourished, with more than 40 sores or bug bites covering his body, according to WFIE. He weighed only about 15 pounds — about half of what would be expected for a boy of his age and size, investigators said.
An autopsy later revealed the child had ingested materials consistent with drywall, paint chips, or spackling, as well as substances found in diapers, according to Evansville ABC affiliate WEHT. Authorities believe the boy likely resorted to eating those items out of hunger. The exam did not show any evidence of physical abuse.
Carter allegedly told investigators the child had been eating his diapers, which officers reportedly suspected was due to severe malnourishment.
Additional details from the investigation reportedly indicate that one child’s room contained a training toilet filled with feces and urine that had not been cleaned for days or weeks, while another’s bedroom doorknob had been reversed, allowing the parents to lock the child inside the room.
Despite the conditions in the rest of the home, investigators noted that the adults’ bedroom was clean, according to reports.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.