SUMMER MOON HAWK - 25 Days (2010) - Loveland (N of Denver) CO

LOVELAND – A Loveland infant who died 24 days after birth was kept
in a dirty garage and had breathing difficulties that sometimes caused
her to turn blue, according to an affidavit that led to the arrest of
the baby's mother.Summer
Moon Hawk, who was born on New Year's Day and was the first baby born
this year at McKee Medical, died on Jan. 25. Her mother, Kaylynn Marie
Davis, 20, was charged with child abuse resulting in death and is
jailed under $300,000 bond.


Davis
sometimes left Summer and her 2-year-old sister, Pheonyx Davis, with
strangers so she could go "party," according to an arrest warrant
affidavit filed by Scott Highland of the Loveland Police Department.
Close friends told police that Davis "actually becomes a better mother
when she is high in that she has a little bit more patience and will
pay a small amount of attention to them," the affidavit said.The
Colorado Department of Human Services had an open case on Summer
because she positive at birth for THC, a chemical in marijuana,
according to the affidavit. DHS also had opened a case when Pheonyx
Davis tested positive for THC when she was born on Dec. 30, 2007.DHS spokeswoman Liz McDonough said she was legally prohibited from speaking about individual cases.But
she said in general, health care providers are required to notify the
county human service office if there's evidence that the mother's
behavior threatens the health of the child.The county
will then develop "a safety plan for the child," with specific actions
varying on a case by case basis. They could require increased
supervision of the mother, parenting classes and taking custody of the
child.DHS conducts a "fatality review" if an infant dies
of suspected abuse or neglect within five years of involvement with the
family welfare unit, McDonough said. She couldn't immediately say
Monday whether such a review has begun in Summer's death.According
to the arrest affidavit, police were notified shortly after 11:30 a.m.
Jan. 25 that Summer had been found dead at a home in the 2600 block of
Cedar Drive.

Loveland CO ---- A 21-year-old Loveland woman will face felony charges in connection
with her daughter’s death from acute pneumonia, a judge ruled Friday.Kaylynn Davis, the mother of Summer Moon Hawk, faces a minimum of 18
years in prison if convicted of child abuse resulting in death. Summer Moon was 25 days old when she died Jan. 25.


Police have alleged Davis exhibited a pattern of neglect, saying she did
not get adequate treatment for her daughter and sought to leave her
often with baby sitters so she could do other things.Eighth Judicial District Judge Terence Gilmore found there to be enough
evidence for the case to proceed during a preliminary hearing that
concluded Friday at the Larimer County Justice Center.However, Gilmore said the prosecution will have to address some witness
statements that appear to be inconsistent or contradictory. The rules for preliminary hearings are much less rigid than for a trial;
at the trial phase, the reliability of witness accounts can be
challenged.“This is a most tragic case,” he said.In ruling for the prosecution, he said the accounts of Summer Moon’s
decreased appetite, the cold-room environment where she stayed and
health problems such as being lethargic showed Davis had an awareness of
the condition of her child.“Clearly there was some medical advice,” Gilmore said. The adequacy of
Davis’ response to that advice and Summer Moon’s other symptoms will be a
matter for a jury to decide, he added.Defense
attorneys argued that prosecutors had not met the burden of proving
Davis had knowingly caused the death of her baby. Both sides agree that
Davis never touched Summer Moon in a manner that would cause injury.What a jury will decide is whether Davis touched her enough to recognize
she was deathly ill and whether that would have made a difference.In other action, Gilmore reduced the bond facing Davis, who has remained
at the Larimer County Detention Center since her arrest Feb. 5.Because there was no indication of violence in the case, and her family
had a presence throughout the hearing, Gilmore agreed to a request to
reduce the bond from $100,000 to $25,000.“The court finds there is no other danger to other individuals,” Gilmore
said.

A Loveland woman charged in connection with
her infant daughter's death appeared in Larimer County District Court
this week.Kaylynn Davis has been in custody since the death of her daughter,
Summer Moon Hawk, earlier this year despite reductions to her
court-mandated bond.At
a recent hearing, Davis' defense attorney Erin Richmond was able to get
Davis’ bond reduced a second time to $25,000. Davis' original bond was
set at $300,000, and had already been reduced to $100,000. On
Thursday, with Davis still in custody, her attorney asked to continue
the case to allow time for Davis to post bond. “We are
still working on trying to have Miss Davis bond out,” Richmond said.
“That would implicate how we would proceed in the case.”The
additional time will also allow more discussion for the possibility of a
plea deal. The next court date in the case is set for 3 p.m., June 3. Davis
faces a charge of child abuse resulting in her daughter's death. Her
baby was the first infant born in the New Year at McKee Medical Center.
The infant died Jan. 25.Prosecutor Renee Doak and Davis'
defense attorney already have presented evidence to the court and
cross-examined two Loveland police detectives who investigated the case.
District Judge Terence Gilmore ruled there is enough
evidence to bind Davis over for trial.Davis will have the
option to plead guilty or schedule a trial at her June 3 hearing.
Gilmore
previously reduced the bond because Davis doesn't pose a threat to
anyone in the community and doesn't have a criminal history, he said.Doak
argued that during the weeks of Summer's short life much of Davis' time
was spent looking for marijuana, and that her bond shouldn't be
reduced.

2o years old and 2 babies already. The babies name is FF longer than the days she lived. These silly skanky girls make my blood boil. Their silly boyfriends who don't care if they get young girls pregnant make me sick too. TEENAGE PREGNANCY HAS GOT TO STOP. These are babies, not barbie dolls.

kiwimom wrote:2o years old and 2 babies already. The babies name is FF longer than the days she lived. These silly skanky girls make my blood boil. Their silly boyfriends who don't care if they get young girls pregnant make me sick too. TEENAGE PREGNANCY HAS GOT TO STOP. These are babies, not barbie dolls.

(red by me) Very well said Kiwi.

State and Larimer County Department of Human Services officials met
Monday to review what errors, if any, the county made in its oversight
of Summer Moon Hawk, a Loveland infant who died in January.
Details about what determinations were made, however, won't be made
public for another 45 to 60 days, said Colorado DHS spokeswoman Liz
McDonough. Those details are only made public through the final findings
of a Child Fatality Review, which is conducted to promptly correct any
mistakes that might have been made by the county.Summer Moon died after just 24 days of life and her
mother, Kaylynn Davis, is facing felony charges for child abuse
resulting in death. County DHS officials began to investigate the baby's
family after she was born with THC in her system. THC is the major
component found in marijuana. Larimer County DHS officials
did not have custody of Summer Moon, who was living at her
grandmother's Loveland home with her mother when she died Jan. 25. She
was born on New Year's Day, the first child of the year delivered at
McKee Medical Center, and was found dead in her bed in what police
described as a "dirty and cold" garage attached to the family home in
the 2600 block of Cedar Drive.The affidavit used to get an
arrest warrant for Davis paints a picture of ongoing neglect. Witnesses
told Loveland police Davis would leave Summer Moon and her other child,
Phoenyx, with strangers or acquaintances so she could go "party,"
according to an arrest affidavit.Police also said Summer
Moon was kept in the garage where the temperature dropped to below 45
degrees the night after Summer Moon died. Davis' family, however,
disputed that assertion saying a space heater was kept in the garage
keeping the temperature at about 70 degrees.State and
county officials are prohibited from publicly discussing specific cases
so it's unknown if DHS officials were aware of Summer Moon's living
conditions. The Child Fatality Review report is the only
public document that details the conduct of county officials who were
responsible for the oversight of a child who has died.After
Monday's meeting with county officials, state employees have 30 days to
prepare a draft of the final report that is made public. That draft is
then sent to county employees who have two weeks to respond with any
amendments or comments. Once that process is complete, the document is
made public. The state review of the county is the second
since 2008. After a review of the case involving 20-day-old Chad Munoz,
of Fort Collins, state and county officials determined Larimer County
needed to be more diligent in its efforts to frequently conduct
background checks of parents and other caregivers. The review also
prompted the county to have a team of employees, rather than a single
employee, review reports of suspected child abuse.

Kaylynn Davis appeared in Larimer County District Court Monday, but her
case has not moved forward, as prosecutors are still waiting for
opinions from medical experts.
District Judge Terence Gilmore allowed prosecutor Rene Doak another
month to receive testimony from medical experts concerning the death of
Davis’ baby, Summer Moon Hawk.Hawk, the first baby born in Loveland in 2010, died Jan. 25 and Davis faces child abuse charges. Doak
said she and Davis’ attorney Erin Richmond agree that it would be best
to wait to proceed with the case after the medical experts return their
testimony. “We all believe we should have this done before we reach a possible disposition,” Doak said. Davis will appear in court again at 9 a.m. Sept. 27.

Report details contact between county, family of baby who died

November 19, 2010


The Loveland mother accused of causing her newborn daughter's death earlier this year skipped a meeting with county social service workers less than a week before the baby died in a garage, according to a newly released report.




The report from the state Department of Human Services, released Thursday, details how county workers handled their interactions with the family of Summer Moon Hawk, who was born Jan. 1 and died Jan. 25.

The report says county child-protection workers first met with the baby's mother, Kaylynn Davis, after hospital tests revealed Summer Moon was born with THC in her system. THC is a major component of marijuana, and county workers had previously monitored the family because of Davis' regular use of marijuana.

"It is concerning that there was no conversation with the other family members in the home regarding their marijuana use and that they were asked to oversee a verbal safety plan that leaves them in the care of the children," the report says of the county's involvement.Davis is facing a criminal charge of child abuse resulting in the death of her daughter, the first baby born in Loveland this year.

The report concludes county workers followed procedure, with only minor mistakes. But it also highlights the facts that county social workers had previously monitored Davis' parenting, and multiple adults in the baby's life were aware she was sick and frequently exposed to marijuana.

"We agree with the state this (is a) situation where we did what we were supposed to do. ..." said Ginny Riley, director of Larimer County Human Services.

Riley called the death "an unfortunate tragedy."

According to the report, a county child-protection caseworker visited Davis, her fiancé, David Hawk, and the baby at their home in Loveland on Jan. 5. They were living in a garage that had been converted into a bedroom, the report said.

The caseworker described the sleeping arrangements for Summer Moon and her older sister as "clean and appropriate," said there was a space heater in the garage and that a door to the main house was left open to allow heat from the house into the garage.

Last month,
Judge Terry Gilmore said Kaylynn Davis had two choices Thursday: plead
not guilty to child abuse in the death of Summer Moon Hawk and head to
trial or enter into a plea agreement.But when she appeared before him, he relented and offered a third option — one more delay.The 21-year-old Loveland woman’s attorney, Erin Richmond, and prosecutor
Renee Doak assured Gilmore that they are very close to a plea bargain.
Both said they just need a few more weeks and a few more details.Summer Moon Hawk was born Jan. 1, 2010, Loveland’s New Year’s baby, to then 20-year-old Davis and her fiance, David Hawk.The Larimer County Department of Human Services began monitoring the
family immediately after the birth because the baby was born with THC in
her system, and they’d had previous contact with Davis regarding her
older daughter.Case workers cleared her living conditions with Davis and Davis’ mother
and, although they were still monitoring her, deemed it safe for the
child in the home.But 25 days after her birth, Summer died of pneumonia — a condition that officials said worsened quickly.Davis had taken the child to the doctor for a cold twice in her short
life, and both times, she was sent home with care instructions.After
Summer died, police began to investigate and, unlike child case workers,
said her living conditions were dirty, cold and neglectful.They filed reports with the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office,
which filed a felony charge against Davis alleging child abuse resulting
in death. The charge is based on allegations of neglect.Although Davis has not spoken out publicly, her family members have
disputed those charges and said she was a good mother who tried to do
the best for her daughter.In the intervening year, as the charges have paused in court, Davis was
released from jail, worked with Social Services to have contact with her
older daughter and found a stable, steady job.The case, attorneys say, will end in a plea bargain.But they have not released details on what that agreement might entail.A hearing for that purpose is scheduled for Jan. 31.

kiwimom wrote:2o years old and 2 babies already. The babies name is FF longer than the days she lived. These silly skanky girls make my blood boil. Their silly boyfriends who don't care if they get young girls pregnant make me sick too. TEENAGE PREGNANCY HAS GOT TO STOP. These are babies, not barbie dolls.

Teenage pregnancy happens, and will continue to happen. That doesn't necessarily mean they're "skanky girls". As a pregnant 19 year old at the moment, I take offense in what you say. I was engaged and became pregnant and he left me. Who are you to judge? I'm sure in no way you are perfect. There are grown women who get pregnant and their boyfriends and even husbands could care less about kids. Don't judge all of us due to one careless person.

Jennifer wrote:

kiwimom wrote:2o years old and 2 babies already. The babies name is FF longer than the days she lived. These silly skanky girls make my blood boil. Their silly boyfriends who don't care if they get young girls pregnant make me sick too. TEENAGE PREGNANCY HAS GOT TO STOP. These are babies, not barbie dolls.

Teenage pregnancy happens, and will continue to happen. That doesn't necessarily mean they're "skanky girls". As a pregnant 19 year old at the moment, I take offense in what you say. I was engaged and became pregnant and he left me. Who are you to judge? I'm sure in no way you are perfect. There are grown women who get pregnant and their boyfriends and even husbands could care less about kids. Don't judge all of us due to one careless person.

Why did you get pregnant before you were married and made sure you had a solid and secure situation to raise children in? Everyone has the right to judge, especially as you'll probably expect others to finance you somewhere along the line. I hope you don't subject your child to a string of boyfriends but I suppose you will. It's pretty common for teen mothers to not want to give up their teenage pass times to raise a baby. Please read our murdered and abused threads and see how often it happens. If you have a boyfriend get a baby sitter and go out with him. Don't bring him into your home and the child's life until you have known him and his family and friends for a long time.
You have to make good and sensible choices with your baby's best interest - not yours - in mind from now on.
Please never forget this. You need to take care of that child yourself. Don't expect a guy who isn't the child's father to do it. I hope you'll keep us posted on how you're going. There's some excellent advice about parenting on the main page.

Mom Gets Work Release, Probation In Baby's Death
Kaylynn Davis Agrees To Plea Bargain
January 31, 2011
LOVELAND, Colo. -- A judge has sentenced a Loveland mother to work-release and probation in the death of her weeks-old infant, according to the Loveland Reporter Herald.

Summer Moon Hawk was the first baby born in Loveland in 2010. She died Jan. 25, 2010, from pneumonia, the Larimer County coroner said.

Police said Hawk and her mother, Kaylynn Davis, lived in a cold garage.
Davis was arrested on suspicion of child abuse resulting in death.

The newspaper said Davis entered an Alford plea to causing serious bodily injury by negligence. An Alford plea means she did not acknowledge guilt but understood she could be convicted.

Davis was sentenced to five months in a work-release program and 10 years probation, the Fort Collins Coloradoan said.

An internal investigation was launched in 2010 into how Larimer County social services handled the case because Hawk died while under monitoring by the state. Those results are unknown.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/26679573/detail.html