murder charges, infant starvation death, Florida

Murder charges have been filed against the parents in Florida in the case of an infant starvation death. The 22 day old baby died from starvation and both parents of the infant have been charged with first degree murder. For most people the thought of neglecting a newborn in any way is unacceptable, and to allow an infant to starve to death is inexcusable. According to the assistant chief of the Lakeland Police Mike Link”She suffered tremendously over the 22 days that she was alive.” According to police the photographs of the baby are very disturbing, and the medical examiner determined that the baby girl was murdered by starvation due to neglect. When the infant was weighed in death she weighed roughly two and a half pounds less than at birth, and she had not been fed much for the previous 24 hours before dying.

First degree murder charges in the Florida infant starvation case are warranted according to the medical examiner, and an infant lost her life because she was not valued or loved by her mother. After being confronted with the facts the mother of the infant admitted that the baby had not been fed much during the day long trip to Florida, and that it was difficult to feed the infant because they would have to exit the highway in order to do so. The baby girl had an appointment with a physician before the trip but the mother failed to keep the appointment. The male half of the couple, Roy Stephens, is not the biological father of the infant and did not have much to do with the baby according to the mother. Two other children aged 1 and 2 were also with the couple, and these children were taken into protective custody.