A 21-year-old Missouri mother has been charged with abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death after her 1-year-old baby was found deceased, reportedly suffering from severe malnutrition and neglect for 43 hours.
According to the Missouri Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control, Alyssa Wehmeyer was investigated following the “suspicious” death of her infant on February 28. In an official press release, authorities confirmed the child had exhibited signs of “severe malnutrition and neglect, resulting in the child’s death.”
Court documents revealed that Wehmeyer allegedly last fed her baby on February 26, approximately 36 hours before the infant’s estimated time of death.
The baby was found unresponsive on February 28, and an autopsy determined the cause of death to be dehydration. The examination reportedly showed “very little evidence of food in the stomach.”
Wehmeyer was taken into custody and interviewed by investigators. During questioning, she allegedly admitted to feeding her child for the last time on February 26 between 5 and 6 p.m. By February 27, nearly 24 hours after the final feeding, she reportedly put the baby to bed at 6:30 p.m. following a diaper change.
When asked about the “severe blisters” consistent with a diaper rash found on the baby, Wehmeyer reportedly told police she had not changed the infant’s diaper for nearly 19 hours before the estimated time of death.
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In her statement to police, Wehmeyer said she heard the baby crying at around 2 a.m. on February 28. She tended to the child for 30 to 40 minutes before putting the baby back to sleep. Later that day, at approximately 1 p.m., she discovered the child was not breathing and noticed the infant’s lips had turned blue.
Wehmeyer reportedly told investigators she considered taking the baby to the doctor on February 27 but claimed she did not because she “had a migraine” and chose to take a nap instead.
Prosecutors allege that Wehmeyer neglected her baby for approximately 43 hours, a period during which the infant went unfed and unattended for extended durations.
Wehmeyer has been charged with abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death, a serious felony under Missouri law. She is currently being held in the Scott County Jail on a $100,000 cash bond. Her first court appearance is scheduled for March 6.
This heartbreaking case underscores the tragic consequences of neglect and has left the community reeling as authorities continue their investigation.
