Little girl starves to death in apartment full of bedbugs and feces, police say
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A mother drank heavily and surfed her phone while her 19-month-old daughter starved to death in an apartment filled with lice, bed bugs and feces, police said.
Details of Skii Swope’s death were revealed in a court document used as evidence against her mother, 24-year-old Brooklynne Davis.
Davis was arraigned on Wednesday, August 28, on charges of first-degree premeditated murder and child abuse.
She is being held without bail in the Kent County Jail.
Skii’s twin, Adonis Swope, was also found in critical condition in Davis’ apartment in the 500 block of Eastern Avenue SE.
Police discovered the crime scene on August 22 after Davis called 911 to report the death of her one-year-old.
In court documents, officials described a disturbing picture surrounding Skii and the apartment in general.
The girl’s eyes were sunken and dark, the skin around her ribs and collarbone had also sunk and the officers could clearly see all of her bones.
The girl also had wounds on the inside of her thighs, “as if her skin was deteriorating,” police wrote.
Police learned Davis lived in the apartment with the twins and her other child, an 8-year-old boy. The older child did not appear to need medical attention.
“All of these children lived in an unclean house that was infested with lice, bed bugs and other pests,” police wrote.
According to police, the children slept in a bedroom with a single mattress on a carpet that appeared to be contaminated with feces and other substances.
There was a loud shouting coming from the entire apartment, police said.
In an interview, Davis told police that she was the only one caring for the children and that she had isolated herself out of shame about the condition of the apartment and fear of eviction.
She reportedly told police that the children “could not go 24 hours without food,” but also told them that she puts the twins down in the evening and does not wake up for 14 hours.
“Brooklynne was usually drinking heavily and scrolling on her phone while the children were in her room. She stated that (the older child) was easy to care for because he could cook for himself,” police wrote.
She told police the twins were fed Boost shakes, chicken nuggets, pancakes, French toast sticks and water. Police said she admitted she knew the twins were losing weight.
They said she never contacted a doctor about the weight loss or the extreme diaper rash that caused sores.
At her death, Skii weighed 13 pounds.
A coroner determined that she died of starvation and malnutrition, police said.
“This is one of the most horrific cases of child abuse I have ever seen,” Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom said in a written statement. “Neither the first responders nor the detectives who fought tirelessly for justice will ever forget this child. We pray for the recovery of her twin brother, who also suffered unbearable abuse.”
Grand Rapids District Court Judge Michael Distel cited the seriousness of the charges when he denied Davis bail on Wednesday.
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