In Iowa, a 23-year-old mother and her 24-year-old boyfriend have been detained in connection with the tragic death of the woman’s 20-month-old daughter. The child succumbed to dehydration and a brain hemorrhage after being left alone for over 14 hours.

Authorities have charged Kaylee Morris and Mason Morgan with neglect or abandonment of a dependent, each in relation to the death of young Willow Ann Morris. These charges were announced following their arrests earlier this week.

Morgan, who is not the biological father of Willow, faces an additional charge of child endangerment by depriving the child of essential care, leading to her death.

The investigation into Willow’s untimely death commenced on September 22, as per a news release from the Vinton Police Department. It followed a report of a 20-month-old child found unresponsive in her crib at the family’s apartment.

“The child was transported to the Virginia Gay Hospital where she was declared deceased,” police wrote in the release.

Police officials, working in cooperation with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Benton County Attorney’s Office, said they developed evidence necessary to arrest Morris and Morgan in connection with the girl’s death.

While police refused to release any details about the case “due to the sensitive nature of the case and the involvement of a child,” court documents obtained by Cedar Rapids ABC and CW affiliate KCRG provided some additional details that shed some light on what allegedly led to the arrests.

According to the report, investigators soon learned that in the seven months preceding her death, Willow’s weight had “stagnated and begun to decline,” moving from the 89th percentile to below the fifth percentile.

Authorities said that in the days leading up to her death, from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21, Morris had gone out of town, leaving Morgan as the sole adult responsible for Willow. Text messages exchanged between the couple during that time showed that Morgan was growing increasingly frustrated in dealing with Willow when she became fussy, particularly when it came to eating.

Morgan would reportedly try to get the victim to eat ramen noodles and when she refused, he allegedly just put her back in her crib instead of attempting to try other foods. During the time that Morris was away, Willow allegedly ate no food or, at best, a minuscule amount.

Morris returned home on the night of Sept. 21, and, despite allegedly conceding she knew that her daughter was sick, she said she did not bother to check on her. Instead, she and Morgan allegedly decided to use THC wax and go to sleep. It wasn’t until about 11 a.m. the following morning that Morris looked in on her daughter — the first time either adult had reportedly done so in 14 hours. She apparently found Willow unresponsive and called 911.

Investigators described the state of the victim’s body as being stiff with blue lips and foaming at the mouth. It is believed she had been dead for up to six hours before her body was found.

Authorities searched the home, saying it was in a deplorable state, reeking of cat urine with trash, food, and animal feces all over, Waterloo NBC affiliate KWWL reported. In a subsequent interview with police, Morris and Morgan both allegedly admitted to using the THC wax and neglecting Willow.

“I understand what I did was wrong, and I understand that I need a punishment,” Morris reportedly told investigators.

An autopsy determined that dehydration and a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is a type of stroke, were Willow’s causes of death. The child reportedly also tested positive for methamphetamine, nicotine, diphenhydramine, and beta-phenethylamine, a chemical stimulant.