UNNAMED BABY GIRL - 9 mo / Accused: Mother; Megan Ayers and boyfriend; Bryan Sartor - Holts Summit (Jefferson City) MO

Infant found dead in drug users' home

by Ashley Crockett
Posted: 1 hr, 4 mins ago

A nine-month-old child was found blue and not breathing in Holts Summit.
Police arrested two adults, who admitted to using methamphetamines.

A nine-month-old child was found "beyond any help" on Wednesday morning.
A caller said the infant was blue and not breathing.

Emergency crews responded to a residence on South Summit Drive just after 11:00 a.m. Wednesday.

The infant was found dead in a playpen-type enclosure inside the home by
Callaway County Ambulance District and the Holts Summit Fire Protection District crews.

The Medical Examiner’s Office was then contacted. Personnel from the office
went to the scene to investigate the death, and an autopsy is pending.

Holts Summit Police Department investigators questioned two adults at the residence,
who said they put the child to bed sometime between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Tuesday.
When they checked on the child at 11:05 a.m. Wednesday, the infant was lying on his back, not breathing, and was blue.

Both adults later admitted to using methamphetamines on Tuesday.
Investigators took several needles, a baggie with a white powdery substance,
a baggie with a brown powdery substance and other items from the residence.
The items were sent to the state crime lab for testing.

The two adults were taken into custody and are being held in the Callaway County Jail,
pending formal charges. Their names have not been released.

The remaining child in the residence was placed into protective custody
by workers from Missouri Social Services, Children's Division.

The original story incorrectly identified the two-year-old as deceased.
The caller had told the 911 dispatcher that the two-year-old was found unresponsive.

http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=768046#.T-NdyvX5DO9

Baby Found Dead in Meth House

***UPDATE 11:26 A.M.***

Neighbors told ABC 17 the couple had only moved in about a month ago, and stayed up late at night.

***ORIGINAL STORY***

Author: ABC 17 News Staff
Jun 21, 2012 10:41 AM

Two people are now in custody in Callaway County, after a 9-month-old is found dead in the same home as meth.

A 911 dispatcher took a call around 11 a.m. Wednesday, saying the child was blue and not breathing. Emergency crews went to the home on 964 S. Summit Drive in Holts Summit, but they found the baby dead inside a playpen.

The two people told police the child was put to bed sometime between 10 and 11 last night, but when they checked again after 11 the next morning, he was lying on his back and unresponsive.

Both people also admitted they used meth on Tuesday, and officers found several needles, along with brown and white powdery substances inside plastic baggies. The evidence was taken to the state crime lab for testing, and an autopsy is scheduled.

A second 2-year-old child was also removed from the home, and placed into protective custody with child services.

http://www.abc17news.com/news.php?id=6628

Holts Summit woman, man arraigned on child endangerment, drug charges

By Don Norfleet
Friday, June 22, 2012

A woman and a man from Holts Summit were arraigned Friday in Fulton on felony child endangerment and illegal drug use charges after the woman’s infant child was found dead on Wednesday, the day after both admitted using meth.

Bound over for a Callaway County Associate Circuit Court hearing at 9 a.m. July 13 were the child’s mother, Megan Ayers, 30, and her boyfriend, Bryan Sartor, 23, both of Lot 10 of 964 South Summit Drive in Holts Summit.

Ayers and Sartor were both represented by the Callaway County Public Defender’s Office.

At the request of Public Defender Justin Carver a bond reduction study for Sartor was ordered by Callaway County Associate Circuit Judge Carol England.

Sartor and Ayers are both in Callaway County Jail on $25,000 bond.

In a sworn statement, Lt. Bryan Reid of the Holts Summit Police Department said Sartor called the 911 Callaway County Emergency Operations Center at 11:07 a.m. Wednesday saying a two-year child was blue and not breathing. Reid said Sartor told the 911 center that the child was “beyond any help.”

But Reid said when emergency personnel arrived they learned that the two-year-old girl in the house was fine but a nine-month-old infant boy was not.

When Holts Summit Police officers arrived, the mother, Ayers, and her boyfriend, Sartor, were outside.

Emergency personnel attended the infant child, who was declared deceased.

The infant was found in a playpen type enclosure with a half empty bottle, a stuffed animal and a heavy purple blanket. Reid said there were red marks on the baby’s face on the right side near the upper cheek and around the right eye. There also was a red mark below the infant’s lower lip.

“We are currently awaiting an autopsy for the cause of these markings on the face,” Reid said. “When personnel from the medical examiner’s office arrived on the scene I entered the house with them and as they were photographing the body I was advised that the child’s stomach was possibly bloated and there was a green tint to the skin. I was told that this was an indictor of decomposition and that the child probably had been deceased for quite some time.”

The cause of death of the infant and autopsy results are not expected to be known for several weeks.

Reid said while interviewing the mother and her boyfriend, both stated they had put the infant down for bed sometime between 10 and 11 p.m.

The lieutenant said Sartor told him that when he got up the next day he checked on the children. The two-year-old girl was awake and watching television. But the infant was on his back and was not breathing and was blue. Reid said Sartor told him this occurred at about 11:05 a.m., just prior to the 911 call.

Reid said this indicated “by their own admission the infant had not been checked on in over 12 hours.”

Reid said both Sartor and Ayers admitted to using methamphetamine on the previous day. He said Ayers told him they used meth at about 11 a.m. the previous day and Sartor said they had used meth “around noon” the previous day on Wednesday.

Reid said both admitted still having meth in the house as well as paraphernalia for preparing and injecting meth.

Reid said Sartor handed a Holts Summit detective a glass container that had three needles, a spoon and one baggy containing a white powder substance, one baggy containing a brown powder substance and one empty baggy.

The substance, Reid said, later field tested positive for meth. Three Holts Summit police officers conducted a consent search of the residence and found a spoon with meth in it, a plastic baggy with meth, a baggy with marijuana, and paraphernalia rolling papers. The baggy of meth and spoon were located in the dryer, which Reid said was easily accessible to the two-year-old girl.

Sartor and Ayers were taken to Callaway County Jail and the two-year-old girl was placed into protective custody by workers from the Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

Callaway County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Casey L. Clevenger filed two identical felony charges and one misdemeanor charge against both Sartor and Ayers.

Clevenger based her first-degree felony endangering the welfare of a child charge against both suspects on the fact that they “knowingly acted in a manner that created a substantial risk to the life, body and health of a two-year-old child staying at 964 South Summit Drive, Lot No. 10, Holts Summit, by having methamphetamine in the residence which was accessible to the child.”

Clevenger also charged both with felony possession of methamphetamine, a controlled substance, knowing of its presence and nature.

The prosecutor also charged both with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use, including “three syringes and a spoon.”

Police reported Sartor is the boyfriend of Ayers. Sartor is not the father of the deceased child. The father of the dead nine-month-old child has been notified, Police reported.

Court records show neither Ayers nor Sartor had been arrested previously for drug violations or violent crimes.

This is the first arrest for Ayers. Sartor has only traffic violations and he pleaded guilty in 2007 to being a minor visibly intoxicated and was fined $500 and $850 in costs.

http://www.fultonsun.com/news/2012/jun/22/holts-summit-woman-man-arraigned-child-endangermen/

Sad that this was preventable. They had been arrested for drug violations and violent crimes. They should have had the kids taken from them. I think any death of a child should automatically get the death penality.

William

Welcome to the forum willcarney. I whole-heartedly agree.

Another POS boyfriend. Another POS mother. Another dead baby.

i agree with all of u!

William, had you read the article thoroughly you'd of read it said they had NOT had prior arrests for drugs or violence; not that they had. It's commendable to be the voice for those without one and all but if you're going to speak for them I think you should take time to realize that it's highly unlikely he would say to kill his mother and let his brother and sisters deal with that on top of losing their brother. That is disgusting.

Nicki82 wrote:William, had you read the article thoroughly you'd of read it said they had NOT had prior arrests for drugs or violence; not that they had. It's commendable to be the voice for those without one and all but if you're going to speak for them I think you should take time to realize that it's highly unlikely he would say to kill his mother and let his brother and sisters deal with that on top of losing their brother. That is disgusting.

OK so maybe William misread the part about previous arrest, but what the heck are you talking about in this part:

"but if you're going to speak for them I think you should take time to realize that it's highly unlikely he would say to kill his mother and let his brother and sisters deal with that on top of losing their brother."

One 9 month old baby is dead while in the care of crackheads. It's obvious that they are dope addicts and unfortunately their first time getting busted is due to the death of a baby. They don't even know the last time they saw it cause their time doesn't match up with the baby's condition. So very sad for the victim and the 2 year old that survived. I hope she ends up in a happy, safe home and not with these druggies.

nicki82 needs to check it at the door. i had to go back and reread the article myself because i, like will, came to the same conclusion as he did.

babyjustice, she is my friend and I know she is a good mother who has been having a hard time and that this isn't her usual behavior. What I meant by that was that at least some of these cases people are quick to say deserve the death sentence, these innocent children you're here saying you're a voice for would probably disagree. Right now they're thinking it was SIDS so as sad as it is that she's been dealing with her problems the wrong way she doesn't deserve a death sentence. Her other 3 kids who think the world of her would be lost without her.

flash, I don't need to check anything at the door. I was stating a fact that he misread that and yeah, he (and I guess you too) should read thoroughly before commenting. I didn't have a problem with that, I have a problem with saying her other kids should be devastated having their mother put to death rather than letting her get help if she needs it.

only because she is the only adult in their life, they would b much better without her!!

and one more thing-if u was such a wonderful friend, why werent u trying to help her? u had to have seen the situation circling the drain. if u r any kind of friend to her and her children u will not b advocating for a dope head to get her children back. the children r just that-children and they have no idea how wonderful life could b away from the drugs and violence.

I feel for any children unfortunate enough to be raised by an ignorant, heartless and unforgiving person like you, flash. I hope they don't take after you.

I am not even going to respond to that post.

didnt figure u could

most every person on this site feels the way i do about drugs, violence and children. so ur the only one here spouting ignorance.

Nicki82 wrote:babyjustice, she is my friend and I know she is a good mother who has been having a hard time and that this isn't her usual behavior. What I meant by that was that at least some of these cases people are quick to say deserve the death sentence, these innocent children you're here saying you're a voice for would probably disagree. Right now they're thinking it was SIDS so as sad as it is that she's been dealing with her problems the wrong way she doesn't deserve a death sentence. Her other 3 kids who think the world of her would be lost without her.

flash, I don't need to check anything at the door. I was stating a fact that he misread that and yeah, he (and I guess you too) should read thoroughly before commenting. I didn't have a problem with that, I have a problem with saying her other kids should be devastated having their mother put to death rather than letting her get help if she needs it.

Well no mother with 4 kids should be doing drugs let alone doing them in their presence. It's possible that the baby got a hold of the drugs as it sounds like the meth was easily accessible to the kids. It is also obvious that your friend has been using for a while. Did you not know? If you did, then you should have helped her and the children by calling CPS immediately. It may have saved this poor baby. I will withhold further comment until we find out the cause of death but since the mother and boyfriend have admitted they were high when the baby died, they will be charged with neglect and who knows what else. When a person uses drugs, you can never count on second chances. Her baby is dead due to negligence so why should she be trusted with her other children? They need to be placed in a safe and loving home.

thank u babyj. u said it so much more eloquently than i did.

Mother and Boyfriend Make Second Court Appearance for Baby Death

Posted: Jul 13, 2012 11:16 AM
Updated: Jul 13, 2012 3:55 PM
by Molly Balkenbush

CALLAWAY COUNTY - Megan Ayres and boyfriend Bryan Sartor made their second appearance in court on Friday morning. During their first appearance in June, Ayres and Sartor pleaded not guilty to criminal charges following the death of her nine-month old baby.

Ayres and Sartor were charged with child endangerment, possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia after admitting to using methamphetamine the night before the baby was found.

The Holts Summit Police said it has not yet received lab tests indicating the cause of death. The Callaway County Coroner Office said it could not comment whether or not the tests have been completed or are still underway.

http://www.komu.com/news/mother-and-boyfriend-make-second-court-appearance-for-baby-death/

"Court records show neither Ayers nor Sartor had been arrested previously for drug violations or violent crimes."

While I did miss that line the child still died and it was totally preventable. Drugs, violence and kids do not mix.

William

yes, william, i totally agree

I agree that drugs, violence, and kids don't mix, whole heartedly and this mother should definately lose her kids. However, her friend actually has a valid point, which I made similarly in another post today, her kids may very well think the world of her and are securely attached, especially if this is a fairly new thing she's doing here. While I agree that kids are just kids and don't know any better and don't realize "how good life can be" they really don't care that much either. If you just rip them away from their bio mom, because she is so obviously bad for them, it can cause major attachment and trust issues and even years of counseling may not be able to undo. It can cause behavioral and other mental health issues. It's quite possible in the baby alissa case that I reference earlier that she was very difficult as her murderer suggests, but likely because she was placed in that woman's care and then prevented from seeing her bio mom for next 3 months. A lot of foster kids act out and that's why they get moved from home to home because the foster parents can't handle them. In some places, like NJ I believe, they encourage foster and adoptive parents to use a fringe therapy called Attachment Therapy on these kids because they have some behavior issues from their attachment, or lack there of. This therapy has been implicated in the death of Candace Newmaker. Atthachment is a big, big deal in childhood development. Just taking a kid from the only home she has ever know can throw her entire development out of whack.

I see your points ginger, but I still think "alive" trumps the alternative.

Mom, I agree. I'm not saying she should get her kids back. I'm just saying favoring all contact to be stopped immediately can have a range of negative impacts on children and often people don't think of that. They simply see themselves as "saving" the kids when in reality they are retraumatizing them.