Fort Wayne woman charged with neglect after child not given proper medical care dies

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - A Fort Wayne woman is charged with several counts of neglect after a child in her care died after they were not provided proper medical care, according to court documents.

Court documents say police were called to an apartment on May 1 on reports that a child was not breathing. First responders arrived and pronounced the child dead on the scene.

Documents say when the officer arrived on the scene, he noticed an “overwhelming” smell of urine coming from the apartment. The officer said the floors were soiled and sticky, dirty dishes were piled high, and there were full garbage bags all throughout the unit.

Police say they then spoke with 24-year-old Madyson Conley, who said she and Byron Hines were the caregivers for the four children who lived in the home.

The officer noted that there was breathing treatment equipment in the home, saying DCS advised that there was a previous allegation that children in the home were not provided proper medical care. DCS said they conducted an investigation in 2021 and created a treatment plan for the children that both caretakers signed off on.

Conley said she last checked on the victim around 4:30 a.m., and when she woke up later around 12:30 p.m., she said the child was unconscious. She told police that the child had Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and said there was a flu bug going around the house. Conley said she was not making the victim wear the special vest that is required for the CF treatment, as is laid out in the treatment plan.

Court documents say an autopsy found that the child’s death was preventable “if proper medical care had been provided”, noting neglect. Conley is preliminarily charged with several counts of neglect, including neglect resulting in death.