2-Year-Old Malnourished Toddler Dies After Eating Diapers, Drywall At Home, Parents Held

An Indiana couple has been arrested in the US after a 2-year-old boy died of malnutrition while living in extremely unhygienic and poor conditions. The deceased child has been identified as Erik Reichard and was forced to consume diapers out of prolonged hunger.

The accused couple has been identified as Trevor Reichard-Hayes (39) and Katherine Carter (31). According to Fox News, the two had waited for about 14 hours before calling for medical help.

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The Tell City police reached the couple's house at around 1:20 pm on March 31, after Hayes called 911, claiming his wife had found that their son was not breathing. The accused couple claimed that they saw their son alive last night at 11pm.

Afterwards, the medical professionals performed CPR and declared the child dead at the scene. According to the investigators, the child had died hours ago, as his body appeared blue and pale.

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As per the affidavit, the child was severely underweight, weighing only 15 pounds (6.8 kg). He had wounds or insect bites all over his body. The Tell City police claimed that Carter told police the child was eating his diapers, and the detective suspected this was due to hunger.

The police further revealed that the home was in extremely poor condition. Parts of the room were filled with dirt, pieces of drywall, diapers, and feces. The house was in a terrible condition. Two other children who lived in the same residence were also malnourished. While one was shifted to a safer place, the other had to be hospitalised due to severe malnutrition and dehydration.

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However, the affidavit wrote that the parents' room was clean and organised, with a bed, and there was no dust. A postmortem later found foreign substances in the child's body that matched diaper gel and drywall. Authorities concluded that the child died from severe malnutrition and dehydration due to neglect.

In a separate case, a 6-month-old child in Miami died of malnutrition. The parents Nathan Allen and Arnelle Floyd were then arrested on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.