NEWS

DCS report: 49 Indiana children died of abuse, neglect

Marisa Kwiatkowski
marisa.kwiatkowski@indystar.com
  • Rise in neglect determinations attributed to officials receiving more complete information.
Bambi Glazebrook pleaded guilty to neglect and is serving time in prison relating to the death of her 2-month-old son, Phillip Robey.

The Department of Child Services determined 49 Indiana children died of abuse or neglect in state fiscal year 2013, according to a report released Thursday.

Seven children who died during that time period had a history with DCS as victims of abuse or neglect.

In compiling the agency's annual child fatality report, DCS officials reviewed the circumstances of 286 children's deaths that occurred from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013 — deaths considered to be sudden, unexpected or unexplained, or involving allegations of abuse or neglect. The agency substantiated neglect in 35 cases and abuse in 14 cases, according to the report.

The number of neglect-related cases rose 84 percent from the year before, an increase of 16 children's deaths.

That increase was not because more children died. DCS spokesman James Wide attributed the rise in neglect determinations to officials receiving more complete information from various sources, including local DCS officials and police.

Drowning was the most common cause of neglect-related deaths for kids. Fourteen children drowned during that time period because of lack of supervision, according to the report.

Other causes of death included gunshot wounds, drug overdose, beating, stabbing, suffocation, burning and malnutrition.

Among the victims:

Two-month-old Phillip Robey died Nov. 8, 2012, his body found in an entertainment cupboard drawer, according to court records. The infant weighed 5 pounds 8 ounces when he died. Phillip's parents, Gregory Robey and Bambi Glazebrook, are serving time in prison after admitting they neglected their son.

Jared Tapley pleaded guilty in October to neglect relating to the death of his then-girlfriend’s daughter, 4-month-old Nichole Williams.

Four-month-old Nichole Williams died Feb. 14, 2013, at the hands of her mother's boyfriend.

Jared Tapley, who had been dating Nichole's mother, said he shook Nichole repeatedly trying to get her to stop crying, and she hit her head on the wall. He said he placed her on the couch, then, despite noticing that her cries sounded different, went to play video games with someone in a different part of the home.

Tapley pleaded guilty to neglect and is serving 45 years in prison.

Read the full child fatality report: http://www.in.gov/dcs/files/FatalitySFY2013.pdf

Learn more about water safety to prevent drownings: http://www.in.gov/dcs/files/drowningfactsheet062011.pdf

Star researcher Cathy Knapp contributed to this story.

Call Star reporter Marisa Kwiatkowski at (317) 444-6135. Follow her on Twitter: @IndyMarisaK.