LAUREN MICHELE McCONNIEL - 5 yo - (2010) Muncie (NE of Indy) IN

Muncie IN ---- The Delaware County Prosecutor's office released court
documents indicating the abuse occurred between August 2009 and March
2010. The little girl died in March at Riley Childrens' Hospital in Indianapolis.
Family members say they are standing behind the parents until further details are released.
"I'm not surprised that they were picked up or anything like that. What
surprises me is the charges that they're putting on them. A lot of
people don't realize that she was at the Ball Hospital the night before
going to Riley Hospital and they released her. I don't blame anybody. I
don't know what happened," said the victim's uncle Ron Shreves.
In court documents, investigators said the
McConniels "knowingly deprived" the little girl of support, causing her death.
The father and step-mother are scheduled to appear before a judge Tuesday morning.


* * * *

The last half year of Lauren Michele McConniel's life was a living hell
-- thanks to her father and stepmother, authorities allege.
According to her father, Ryan, and her stepmother, Britanny, the
5-year-old girl would climb the wall like a cat, store food in her
cheeks, mutilate her dolls, bite herself and play with her stool.She reportedly saw
little blue bunnies that told her to do bad things (like stabbing
daddy), rocked and stared at the wall for hours, ate food out of trash
cans, armed herself with a butcher knife, had to wear diapers, rarely
slept and even ate her own vomit and feces.It wasn't until March 2, when the couple took the
child to Valle Vista Health System, a behavioral health and addiction
treatment center in Greenwood, that the child finally got the care she
needed -- a transfer to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
A licensed mental health counselor at Valle Vista diagnosed Lauren
with lack of supervision, failure to thrive, malnutrition and medical
neglect.But by
then it was too late. The girl, who had been healthy and happy just
seven months earlier while in the care of her birth mother, died in the
hospital on March 9.There,
pediatrician Antoinette Laskey, head of the Indiana State Child
Fatality Review Board, assessed the girl as having extremely high levels
of salt in her blood, extreme malnutrition, bruises, scrapes and
abrasions all over her body, and chewed-off fingers. She was
malnourished to the point of weighing as much as the average
30-month-old.Ryan
McConniel, 33, and Brittany McConniel, 24, 2304 S. Ebright St., were
both charged last Friday with neglect of a dependent resulting in death,
a Class A felony. Both remain in jail without bond.Laskey told city police Sgt. Jimmy Gibson that there
was no identifiable underlying medical cause for the child's condition.
To a reasonable degree of medical certainty, the injuries to and the
condition of the child could not plausibly be explained by accidental
injury, pre-existing medical illness, reasonable discipline or benign
events, the doctor said. The injuries were, however, consistent with
"inflicted trauma," or child abuse.
According to an affidavit of probable cause to arrest the couple signed
by Gibson and Chief Deputy Prosecutor Jeffrey Arnold, it is "most
likely" that the parents administered "some sort of salt, possibly as
punishment," to the child. In addition to the alleged physical abuse,
"it is highly likely there is a component of extreme psychological and
emotional abuse," the investigators wrote.
Lauren was a happy and healthy child when her father removed her from
the custody of her natural mother, Amber Huggins, in August 2009.The child's 9-year-old
sister told a psychologist two months after the death that Lauren got in
trouble when she was bad. The parents "would hit her on the bottom of
her feet with a stick" and "make her do jumping jacks, push-ups and
stuff." Other punishment included being hit with a wet towel and
required to hold heavy cans of food or heavy books with arms
outstretched.The
sister was quoted as saying: "It was scary there. I didn't like they way
they hit her. It made me cry." Lauren never received hugs or kisses
from her father or stepmother, her sister said.
According to
investigators, Lauren's household on Ebright Street included her
grandparents,Robert and Angie Lee, and her aunt, Samra Lee.The girl's natural
mother, Amber Huggins, a native of Marion, and Ryan McConniel, a native
of California, split up in 2007. They had been living in Grant County.
Amber went to Knoxville, Tenn., and is now remarried. McConniel went to
Arkansas, where a judge granted custody of the children to him.
McConniel brought the kids back to East Central Indiana last summer."She was kept from the
family that loved her and would have taken care of her," said Lauren's
maternal grandmother, Michele Maddox of Marion. "This has been hell on
our side of the family. I believe they were deliberately hiding from our
side of the family. Ryan didn't even call Amber when Lauren was
admitted to Riley Hospital. A cousin did."Amber's side of the family believed the McConniels
were first living in Winchester and then somewhere in Muncie, where
McConniel reportedly has many relatives.Maddox believes the stories about her granddaughter's
bizarre behavior were either lies or "something that was
trauma-induced.""How
do you develop a mental illness that quickly unless it's caused by
abuse?" Maddox asked. "She was happy and well-adjusted" when the father
took the child and her sister from the birth mother in Tennessee last
summer, Maddox said.The
natural mother now has custody of the surviving sister. Gibson
described the natural mother as "a good mother."Still, Maddox "finds it hard to believe that he
(McConniel) is the one who assaulted her. But it doesn't make him any
less responsible. Neglect means you failed to do something."In this case, the
alleged neglect is failure to seek mental help and medical care for a
5-year-old child until it was too late for her condition to be reversed.

In the months leading up to her death, 5-year-old Lauren McConniel was
treated twice at Ball Memorial Hospital, once at Southway Urgent Care
Center, once at St. Vincent Randolph Hospital in Winchester and three
times at Merdian Services, a behavioral health care provider.
Despite staff seeing broken fingers, malnutrition, a head injury,
weight loss, unusual vaginal appearance and bizarre behavior, only one
of these professional caregivers called Child Protective Services (CPS),
which was just a 1-800 telephone call away, police say.Karen Royer --
a counselor at Meridian who reported
that in all of her years of dealing with kids she had never heard of
such bizarre behavior, and who believed the girl was being seriously
sexually abused -- did contact CPS. Lauren looked exhausted, frail and
fragile to Royer.But that was on March 1, and the target of the sexual abuse allegation was
not the girl's father, Ryan, or stepmother, Brittany, who had custody of
Lauren. The target was Amber Huggins, the girl's natural mother who was
living in Knoxville, Tenn. Huggins had last seen her daughter seven
months earlier, when Lauren was in good health, and Huggins had been
desperately searching for her.
By March 3, Lauren was hospitalized at Riley Hospital for Children in
Indianapolis, where she developed seizures, respiratory failure and
shock. She died there six days later."Child Protective Services was contacted by Karen
Royer over allegations of sexual abuse that Ryan and Brittany made about
the natural mother," said Muncie police Sgt. Jimmy Gibson. "The trouble
is, Karen Royer believed Ryan and Brittany. They were believable. But I
don't suspect the natural mom at all. The natural mom hadn't had
contact with the child since August, and here this (allegation) was
coming up in February and March. When the natural mom had custody of
her, her weight was normal and the pictures showed she was healthy and
happy."And those
weren't the only lies the McConniels told to caregivers, Gibson said.
They also claimed that Lauren was being treated for malnutrition by a
Winchester physician, who had never even seen her once.
Also, at Southway Urgent Care on Feb. 4, the McConniels presented
themselves as rescuers of the child, claiming they had just recently
obtained custody of the girl. "When questioned about the girl's weight,
they acted concerned and blamed the natural mom," Gibson said. "And they
were convincing."
Bill Gosnell, a nurse at Southway who treated Lauren, declined
comment, saying, "This is going to trial."On Dec. 8, Lauren was treated by physician Tom
Mengelt in the emergency department at BMH for broken right fingers from
jumping on the bed."I don't know why they didn't report that to (CPS)," Gibson said. "People
don't want to believe that parents would hurt their kids that way. They
think surely the parents care or they wouldn't bring a kid in with broken fingers."
The child was seen again at BMH on March 2 for a head injury caused
by a fall. A clinical impression of malnutrition and behavioral problems
was also noted during that visit. The hospital sent Lauren home after
treatment including a CT scan.On that same day, the McConniels took the child to
Valle Vista Health Systems in Greenwood for psychiatric treatment (the
couple were unable to contact Meridian).Ellen Harrington, a counselor at Valle Vista,
diagnosed the girl's problem as lack of supervision, failure to thrive,
malnutrition and medical neglect. Harrington referred Lauren to Riley
Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, where she was taken in the early
morning hours of March 3. She died there on March 9."We can't comment regarding any specific patient or
related processes, but we are cooperating fully with the investigation,
and our hearts go out to the family," BMH spokesman Neil Gifford said.Hank Milius, president
of Meridian Services, said, "We at Meridian Services are deeply
saddened by the death of Lauren McConniel. While privacy laws prevent us
from commenting specifically on this case, in the event there is a
suspected case of child abuse or neglect, Meridian staff are trained to
make a report to the Indiana Department of Child Services."
Gibson credits Southway with referring Lauren to Meridian Services, and
he credits Meridian Services for contacting CPS.
Under Indiana law, anyone who has reason to believe that a child is a
victim of child abuse or neglect is required to report it.

Investigation ongoing
Police have not closed their investigation of the
hospital's and Southway's failure to report the McConniels to CPS.
Failing to report is a misdemeanor, Gibson said."Any red flag could be reported to us," said Ann
Houseworth, a spokesman for the department of child services. "We would
rather assess a situation that was not a case of abuse and neglect than
not assess a situation and find that the child was placed in more harm."
The child abuse hotline is staffed 24 hours a day. If a child is in
imminent danger of serious bodily harm, CPS is required by law to
respond within an hour. If a child may be a victim of abuse, the agency
must respond within 24 hours, and if a report of child neglect is made,
the maximum response time by law is five days."If someone sees something that makes you wonder, you
might want to ask questions to find out more," Houseworth said.She declined comment on
Lauren's death.After Royer reported the suspected abuse of Lauren to CPS, "I believe CPS
here contacted CPS in Tennessee, because that's where the allegations
were," Gibson said. "Lauren was scheduled to be interviewed by SMART
(Sexual Molestation and Abuse Response Team), me or (Sgt. Linda) Cook,
on March 3. We were doing it as a courtesy for Tennessee. That's when
she went into Riley. I wish I could have talked to her. I hate it that I
didn't."Police also haven't closed their investigation into other family members for
failure to report.Lauren's step-grandparents Robert and Angie Lee and her step-aunt Samra Lee shared
a house at 2304 S. Ebright St. with the McConniels, Lauren and Lauren's
older sister."There are a whole lot more family members (than the McConniels) who could be
held accountable," Gibson said. "But how far do we go? Do we arrest
everybody? We're behind on other cases and under-staffed."

Investigators are looking into why several
medical workers who treated a 5-year-old girl who later died of
malnutrition and possible abuse didn't contact child welfare
officials as required by law.
Lauren McConniel was taken to hospitals or other health
providers at least seven times in the four months before her March
9 death, according to court documents. But Muncie police Sgt. Jimmy
Gibson said no report was made to Child Protective Services until
two days before her final hospitalization.
"I don't know why they didn't report that to (CPS)," Gibson queried.
"People don't want to believe that parents
would hurt their kids that way. They think surely the parents care
or they wouldn't bring a kid in with broken fingers."
Her father and stepmother, Ryan and Brittany McConniel, were
arrested Friday on felony charges of neglect of a dependent
resulting in death. They made initial court appearances Tuesday,
after which relatives denied the couple abused the girl.
Lauren spent six days at Riley Hospital for Children in
Indianapolis before her death. Doctors said they treated her for
extreme malnutrition and injuries all over her body. A doctor also
found her salt levels were extremely high and questioned whether
someone had force-fed the girl salt as a punishment.
Court documents said the couple had earlier sought treatment for
Lauren for broken fingers, a fall in which she hit her head and
weight loss. Her father and stepmother also described problems such
as Lauren eating her own vomit and feces, defecating in her
brother's bed and seeing blue rabbits that told her to stab her father.
Ann Houseworth, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Child
Services, said she couldn't comment specifically on Lauren's case,
but that any suspicions of abuse should be reported.
Gibson said the McConniels at times blamed Lauren's condition on
her mother, who lives in Tennessee.
"The natural mom hadn't had contact with the child since
August, and here this (allegation) was coming up in February and
March," Gibson said. "When the natural mom had custody of her,
her weight was normal and the pictures showed she was healthy and happy."
A spokesman for Ball Memorial Hospital, where Lauren was twice
treated, said it couldn't comment on the case but was cooperating
with the investigation.
A Delaware County judge entered preliminary not guilty pleas for
the McConniels and approved their requests to have public defenders appointed.
They said little in court, although Ryan McConniel spoke up once
when the judge asked whether he had any questions about the wording
of the charges against him.
"I don't understand why I was charged with that," he said. He
continued saying "I didn't intentionally" before the judge interrupted him.
Brittany McConniel's uncle, Anthony Rice, said they were doing
everything they could to get Lauren the proper emotional and physical help.
Steve Shreves, Ryan McConniel's cousin, said someone might have
been abusing Lauren, but that it wasn't her father.
"Ryan's just not that type of person," Shreves said.

The probable cause affidavit for her father, Ryan McConniel, is at:

http://media2.wishtv.com/_local/pdf/Ryan-Mcconniel.pdf


Probable Cause Affidavit

Parents charged in 5 year old's death
Muncie parents charged with daughter's death
5 year old died in March
Updated: Monday, 14 Jun 2010, 4:09 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 13 Jun 2010, 9:44 PM EDT
* By: Phil Sanchez
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) - The father and stepmother of a 5-year-old Muncie girl are behind bars charged with her death.

The little girl's other family members spoke exclusively with 24-Hour News 8's Phil Sanchez.

Lauren McConniel spent almost a week on life support at Riley Hospital for Children but she wasn't able to pull through.

"I haven't had a decent night sleep since that baby died," Linda Smith, her step grandmother, said.

Lauren passed away in March.

On Friday police arrested her stepmother, Brittany McConniel and her biological father Ryan McConniel. Both are charged with neglect in connection her death.

Smith said since February she knew something wasn't right.

"I (saw) her then and I thought, she really lost a lot of weight, and I asked about it and they said they were taking her to the doctor, and that she was being treated by a physician, and that she was in counseling for an eating disorder, and I said at 5? And they said, yeah she has an eating disorder," Smith added.

A few weeks later Smith saw Lauren one more time at Riley Hospital for Children.

Smith said she knew it would be the last time...

"You could just tell by looking at her, there was nothing left of her, she was skin and bone, she had all of these things all over her head, she wasn't breathing right, you could just tell." Smith said

After Lauren died the McConniel's moved to nearby Eaton before being arrested this week.

They have three other children who are now with other family members.

The Muncie house where they once lived, where 5 year old Lauren once played with her brother and sisters is now occupied by other family members.

Linda Smith tells us she thinks Ryan McConniel is innocent.

"I don't know, I know he was working full-time, going to school full-time, I know he wasn't here a lot, I really wish I knew the answer to that question." Smith added.

Lauren would've celebrated her 6th birthday in October.

The probable cause affidavit, which will provide more information into what allegedly happened, should be released Monday.

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/muncie-parents-charged-with-daughter%27s-death

New details emerge in death of Muncie 5-year-old
During a six-month period last fall and winter, more than a half dozen health care workers treated or observed serious problems with five year-old Lauren McConniel. It wasn't until about a week before she died on March 9th from severe malnutrition, that her injuries were reported to child protective services.

Gene Cox Fox59
9:06 p.m. EDT, June 16, 2010
wxin-muncie-death-investigation-update-061610
Muncie, Ind.—

During a six month period last fall and winter, more than a half dozen health care workers treated or observed problems with tiny Lauren McConniel.

It wasn't until about a week before the five year-old Muncie girl died on March 9, 2010 of severe malnutrition that her injuries were reported to child protective services.

Court records show Lauren's health detiorated once in the care of her father Ryan McConniel and step-mother Britany McConniel.

The Muncie Police Department's lead detective in the case thinks health care workers would innocently believe what the parents were telling them about the, when added together, unusual injuries.
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"I think the health care providers had been duped in some of this," said Sgt. Jimmy Gibson.

Sgt. Gibson's investigation uncovered that the first sign of alleged abuse came in November of last year. It was a strange injury (severe eye trauma) followed weeks later with severe weight loss, bizarre behavior, head, bone, and vaginal injuries.

Ryan and Britany McConniel were arrested this month on felony child neglect charges. Both remain behind bars in the Delaware County Jail. Britany McConniel has no bond.

Nothing was reported to Indiana Child Protective Services until March 1, 2010. Shortly after that Lauren was transferred in grave condition to an Indianapolis hospital.

Muncie police say they have no intention of launching a failure to report investigation targeting health care workers including doctors and nurses who treated Lauren in the months before her death.

Amber Huggins the little girl's birth mother lost custody of Lauren late last year, FOX 59 has learned, because she could not afford an attorney to defend her custodial rights during divorce proceedings from her ex-husband Ryan McConniel.

According to court documents the 5 year old was in good health and happy at the time Huggins lost custody.

Wednesday afternoon Huggins described her heart after losing her daughter as, "broken."
Her ex-husband Ryan and his new wife Britney McConniel remain in the Delaware County jail. Britney is being held without bond and bond for Ryan has been set at $30,000 cash.


http://www.fox59.com/wxin-muncie-death-investigation-update-061610,0,6492914.story

Parents accused in 5 year-old daughter's death
Ryan and Brittany McConniel are behind bars, charged with felony neglect charges in the death of their 5 year old daughter, Lauren.
Tisha Lewis Fox59

10:19 p.m. EDT, June 14, 2010
wxin-muncie-girl-death-061410
Muncie, Ind.—
The Delaware County Prosecutor's office released court documents indicating the abuse occurred between August 2009 and March 2010. The little girl died in March at Riley Childrens' Hospital in Indianapolis.

Family members say they are standing behind the parents until further details are released.

"I'm not surprised that they were picked up or anything like that. What surprises me is the charges that they're putting on them. A lot of people don't realize that she was at the Ball Hospital the night before going to Riley Hospital and they released her. I don't blame anybody. I don't know what happened," said the victim's uncle Ron Shreves.

In court documents obtained by Fox59 News, investigators said the McConniels "knowingly deprived" the little girl of support, causing her death.

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The father and step-mother are scheduled to appear before a judge Tuesday morning.


http://www.fox59.com/wxin-muncie-girl-death-061410,0,946044.story

Muncie couple jailed after death of five-year-old girl
Updated: Jun 30, 2010 8:09 PM ADT

Ryan & Brittany McConniel are in the Delaware County Jail. Ryan & Brittany McConniel are in the Delaware County Jail.

Brittany McConniel Brittany McConniel

Ryan McConniel Ryan McConniel
MUNCIE, INDIANA -

Steve Jefferson/Eyewitness News

Muncie - A father and stepmother are behind bars after police say extreme abuse led to the death of a five-year-old girl.

Extended members of the girl's family are now at odds about what happened.

"Our family is torn apart. You got half of them that believe one way and the other half another thing," said the girl's great uncle, Ron Shreves.

Shreves says the death of his great niece has devastated their family.

Investigators say she suffered extreme abuse at the hands of her father and stepmother, Ryan and Brittany McConniel. Court documents also show her sibling told investigators their parents disciplined the girl by hitting the bottom of her feet with a stick, made her do jumping jacks and push-ups and hold heavy cans or books with her arms outstretched.

The child died in March at Riley Hospital.

"According to the autopsy, it was dehydration of some kind," Shreves said.

Muncie Police arrested the father and stepmother for neglect of a dependent resulting in death. The McConniels are at the Delaware County Jail. While the family is split on exactly what happened to the girl, when they do go to court, they will have some family support.

"They are my family and I don't think anybody was looking to kill her little five-year-old baby," Shreves said.

The couple is scheduled for court Tuesday for an initial hearing and later this week to hear formal charges. They are being held without bond.



http://www.wthr.com/story/12647818/muncie-couple-jailed-after-death-of-five-year-old-girl?redirected=true

Parents charged in 5 year old's death
Judge seals court documents in Muncie girl’s death

Updated: Monday, 14 Jun 2010, 12:39 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 14 Jun 2010, 11:41 AM EDT

* Reporter: Gene Rodriguez
* Editor: Hyacinth Rucker

MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) - A judge in Delaware County has sealed court documents regarding the death of a 5-year-old girl and the arrest of her father and step-mother.

Ryan and Brittany McConniel are still in the Delaware County jail and won't be in court until Tuesday morning for their initial hearing.

Meantime, the prosecutor is tight lipped and only released the charging document in the case which is only the reason for their arrests. It does not detail the investigation findings.

Lauren McConniel, 5, died in March at Riley Hospital for Children. And since her death Muncie investigators have been questioning more than 50 witnesses, including the doctors at Riley who treated Lauren until the day of her death.

But the court documents don't reveal what they said. They just explain why police arrested 24-year-old Brittany McConniel and her 33-year-old husband Ryan McConniel.

According to the documents, they are both facing Class A Felony charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in death.

The documents state that the McConniel's "...knowingly deprive said dependent of necessary support and which resulted in the death of L.M (Lauren McConniel)."

Family members spoke exclusively with 24-Hour News 8 about the child’s tragic death.

Her great grandmother said she noticed Lauren was really thin and asked about her well being. She said she was told Lauren had an eating disorder.

Lauren died just weeks later. She would have celebrated her 6th birthday in October.

24-Hour News 8 requested interviews with both Ryan and Brittany McConniel and they have declined.

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/north_central/judge-seals-court-docs-in-girls-death

The step-monster's probable cause affidavit is at:

http://www.hannahsfaith.com/PDFs/Brittany_Mcconniel_affidavit.pdf

Mother "broken" after five year-old daughter's death
The mother of a little girl in Muncie who died of malnutrition, has strong words for Central Indiana: "Do not let this happen to another kid."

Tisha Lewis Fox59

6:21 p.m. EDT, June 17, 2010
wxin-amber-huggins-speaks-muncie-death-061710
Indianapolis—

The mother of a little girl who died of malnutrition, has strong words for Central Indiana: "Do not let this happen to another kid."

That was the message from five-yea-old Lauren McConniel's mother Amber Huggins. Higgins spoke via phone to Fox59 News Thursday.

Huggins made a desperate plea to the public saying, "To everybody, if you ever see a child that you think is being abused, even if you have your doubts, please contact Child Protective Services."

Huggins lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. She said she lost custody of Lauren to her ex-husband Ryan McConniel who is now being bars along with his wife Brittany. Both are charged with Class A Felony counts of neglect, causing Lauren's death.
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According to Huggins, "The only reason that she [Lauren] ended out of my custody is because when I went to my divorce proceeding, I did not have an attorney to represent me. I mean you've got your children and you're a good mother of them and a judge says, 'Alright, wer'e going to give custody to the dad.' "

A detective with the Muncie Police Department said the custody battle took place in Arkansas. On Amber Huggins' Myspace page, she lists her status as "broken." She said her daughter was in perfect health before Ryan McConniel received custody.

"She was perfect. She had an upper respiratory infection once. Other than that, she was in perfect health from the minute of her birth," said Huggins.


http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-amber-huggins-speaks-muncie-death-061710,0,997007.story

Neighbors Heartbroken Over Circumstances Of Girl's Death
Parents Charged Months After Child Dies Of Malnourishment, Salt Poisoning

POSTED: 9:03 pm EDT June 15, 2010
UPDATED: 7:49 am EDT June 16, 2010
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Two parents charged with neglect of a dependent causing death months after their 5-year-old daughter died were in court Tuesday as neighbors discussed the unusual case.

Authorities said Lauren McConniel died of malnourishment and salt poisoning at the hands of her stepfather, Ryan McConniel, and stepmother, Brittany McConniel.

Neighbors said they were incredulous and heartbroken over what police said happened in the family's home in the 2300 block of Ebright Street, 6News' Rick Hightower reported.

"That's unbelievable. That's been the topic all day at work … and people just can't believe it," said Jeff Hill, who lives nearby.

The girl's parents were lodged in the Delaware County Jail after a Tuesday hearing in which they were charged with the Class A felony.

When 6News tried to speak with those still living at the house on Tuesday, someone yelled out, "We don't want to talk to anybody."

Police said there were eight people living in the home, including the girl's grandparents.

According to police reports, bizarre behavior preceded the girl's death. In one instance, the McConniels took her to a Muncie church, where a youth minister tried to get her to come inside for a party, but the child swore at the minister, authorities said.

The report indicated that after five minutes, the church worker gave up and told the parents they needed to seek professional help for the girl.

Police said the girl's parents lied to investigators about seeking timely medical treatment for Lauren, who they contended displayed psychotic behavior.

"The stepmother and father would report that the child was being treated for various illnesses elsewhere when in all truthfulness, she wasn't being treated by any other doctors," said Muncie police Sgt. Jim Gibson.

Neighbor Terry Davis said the family was nice to him, even offering at one point to help him move into his house. He never suspected anything wrong.

"Makes you want to check around the neighborhood and make sure your kids are safe," he said. "If you see anything, you might want to report what you see."

"I just wish somebody could have intervened sooner and maybe saved the child's life," Hill said.

Charges were filed months after Lauren's death at Riley Hospital for Children on March 9.

Investigators said that Lauren had extremely high levels of salt in her system and that there was evidence of physical trauma.

Prior to August 2009, the girl lived with her birth mother in Tennessee and was in good health, police said.

The girl had been taken to a mental health facility for evaluation. She wasn't speaking much and had been put back in a diaper at age 5.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the McConniels told authorities that the girl would store food in her cheeks, mutilate her toys, bite herself and her siblings to the point of bleeding and that she stared at the wall saying, "I hate myself."

The parents also told police that the girl ate food out of the trash and consumed her own vomit, but authorities allege that they didn't tell doctors about her bizarre behavior.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/23913665/detail.html

Brittany McConniel bonds out of county jail
Muncie : IN : USA | Feb 15, 2011
Source: The Star Press
0 0
Views: 24


Six months after convincing a judge to modify her bond, Brittany McConniel has been freed from jail pending trial on charges of neglect resulting in the death of her stepdaughter. Lauren McConniel, 5, died in a hospital on March 9 after suffering seizures, respiratory failure and shock from alleged child abuse.

http://www.allvoices.com/news/8194365-brittany-mcconniel-bonds-out-of-county-jail

McCONNIEL TRIALS DELAYED
16.03.11

Filed Under: ECI News

A Delaware County judge has delayed the trials of the parents of a little girl who allegedly died because of their neglect. 34-year old Ryan McConniel and 25-year old Brittany McConniel of Muncie face felony charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in the death of five-year old Lauren McConniel. The little girl died in March of 2010—police say her parents withheld medical care from her. They’ll be tried separately, with the stepmother’s trial set for May 9, and the father’s scheduled for June 6.


http://www.bybradio.net/2011/03/16/mcconniel-trials-delayed/

McCONNIELS WANT TRIAL CHANGES
30.03.11

Filed Under: ECI News

A Muncie man who faces charges in the death of his daughter wants the jury for his upcoming trial to be sequestered. The lawyer for 34-year old Ryan McConniel is also asking for a so-called test jury to be seated to determine whether McConniel can get a fair trial in Muncie. He and his estranged wife, 25-year old Brittany McConniel, are charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in the death of five-year old Lauren McConniel. The stepmother’s attorney wants her trial moved to another county over pre-trial publicity.


http://www.bybradio.net/2011/03/30/mcconniels-want-trial-changes/

www.thestarpress.com

April 1, 2011

County's financial woes raised at McConniel hearing

DOUGLAS WALKER

MUNCIE -- The issue of Delaware County government's growing financial woes is now even making its way into criminal court hearings.

Zaki Ali, public defender for a Muncie woman charged in the 2010 death of her stepdaughter, raised the issue Thursday during a pre-trial hearing in Delaware Circuit Court 5.

Ali's client, Brittany L. McConniel, 26, is charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Class A felony carrying a standard 30-year prison term. Authorities allege 5-year-old Lauren McConniel died last year after not receiving treatment for several health problems.

Brittany McConniel's trial is set for May 9.

At Thursday's hearing, Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. took under advisement several motions filed by Ali, among them requests to sequester prospective jurors, and later the jury itself, housing the panel in a local motel, at taxpayer expense, while jury selection and the trial are under way.

Delaware County Prosecutor Jeffrey Arnold objected to most of Ali's proposals, in part citing the likely cost.

"These clients deserve a defense," Arnold said, also referring to McConniel's 34-year-old husband, Ryan, who faces the same charge and is also represented by a public defender, John Brooke.

"They don't deserve a perfect defense. (Not) just because you're on the public ticket, so to speak."

Ali maintained he had no intention of being frivolous in making his motions.

"I understand the financial climate here," he said, referring to requests for veteran government employees to retire.

Ali noted sequestered jurors could be kept away from media accounts of his client's trial and prevented from investigating trial-related issues on the Internet.

Sequestering the jury "could be potentially pricey for the citizens of the county," he acknowledged.

"The defense is asking the county to pay a huge amount of money" based on Ali's "speculation," Arnold contended.

Cannon noted that, as judge, he "took the oath to uphold the Constitution," which guarantees legal representation for those accused of crimes and unable to pay for an attorney.

That being the case, his rulings on the motions will not be "a financial decision," the judge said.

"But there needs to be a reason to open up the public checkbook," he added.

Cannon said he would rule on Ali's motions, including a recent bid to move the trial to another county, after reading approximately 25 articles about the case published in The Star Press.

Ali submitted a collection of the articles, saying they had "increased fervor" in the community with repeated "above-the-fold publicity."

Brooke, who appeared briefly at Thursday's hearing, asked that similar motions filed on behalf of Ryan McConniel not be considered until after his wife stands trial next month.

Ryan McConniel's trial is set to begin on June 6.


http://www.thestarpress.com/print/article/20110401/NEWS01/104010321/County-s-financial-woes-raised-McConniel-hearing

McConniel father strikes deal in fatal neglect case, to testify against wife
Brittany and Ryan McConniel
Written by
DOUGLAS WALKER

MUNCIE -- Ryan McConniel has struck a deal with prosecutors and will plead guilty to a charge stemming from his 5-year-old daughter's death that could send him to prison for up to 20 years.

As part of the plea agreement, the Muncie man is expected to testify against his estranged wife, Brittany, who remains charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Class A felony carrying a maximum 50-year prison term. Her trial is set for May 9.

The document -- submitted Thursday by Deputy Prosecutor Eric Hoffman and Ryan McConniel's public defender, John Brooke -- also suggests McConniel might provide information about the alleged involvement of others in the events that led to the death of his daughter, Lauren, in March 2010.

Authorities allege the child died after not receiving treatment for a variety of health problems. Ryan McConniel, now 34, and his 25-year-old wife were charged last June.

The plea bargain would have to be accepted by Delaware Circuit Court 5 Judge Thomas Cannon Jr., who has not yet scheduled a change-of-plea hearing in the case.

Ryan McConniel would plead guilty to neglect of a dependent, a Class B felony carrying a standard 10-year term. The length of his sentence, which could range from 6 to 20 years, would be left up to Cannon.

According to the document, McConniel "desires to aid in the investigation and prosecution of those persons responsible for the abuse, neglect and death of Lauren McConniel."

It says that his cooperation would include "making himself available for pre-trial interviews as well as providing truthful testimony" in grand jury proceedings and trials.

Listed as potential targets of investigations stemming from the girl's death are Brittany McConniel -- from whom Ryan McConniel was granted a divorce Feb. 18, pending the payment of related court fees -- and three members of her family who to date have not been charged.

Also filed Thursday was a 10-page affidavit -- ordered sealed by Judge Cannon -- purported to contain "factual statements (from Ryan McConniel) describing abuse and/or neglect inflicted upon Lauren McConniel by a certain person or persons."

In his request to have the affidavit sealed, Hoffman wrote that "not all of those persons have been formally charged with criminal offenses as they are currently under investigation."

Contacted Thursday, Hoffman said he could not comment when asked if additional charges might be filed against Brittany McConniel, and whether he intended to charge other people with related crimes.

He said he did not anticipate the filing of the plea agreement would result in a delay of Brittany McConniel's trial.

Ryan McConniel's trial, also in Cannon's court, had been scheduled to begin June 6.

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20110408/BUSTED/104080340/McConniel-father-strikes-deal-fatal-neglect-case-testify-against-wife

Published Mar 30 2011 by Star Press

McConniel attorneys, Delaware County prosecutors to square off

Brittany and Ryan McConniel / Jail Mugs

MUNCIE -- Attorneys for Brittany and Ryan McConniel want a "test" jury selected before their upcoming neglect trials to "determine prejudice from pre-trial publicity" stemming from the March 2010 death of his 5-year-old daughter.



http://www.silobreaker.com/mcconniel-attorneys-delaware-county-prosecutors-to-square-off-5_2264462304986792105

Hundreds Gather For Vigil To Remember 5-Year-Old Girl
Police: Girl Died Of Malnourishment, Salt Poisoning
Rick Hightower
WRTV 6 News Reporter/Anchor

POSTED: 1:28 am EDT June 19, 2010
UPDATED: 11:10 am EDT June 19, 2010
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Hundreds gathered in a Muncie neighborhood Friday night to remember a 5-year-old girl police said died after months of abuse.

Authorities said Lauren McConniel died in March of malnourishment and salt poisoning at the hands of her stepfather, Ryan McConniel, and stepmother, Brittany McConniel, who were both charged this week with neglect of a dependent causing death.

Nearly 200 people gathered outside the girl's home in the 2300 block of Ebright Street on Friday night, bringing pictures, flowers, balloons and teddy bears, 6News' Rick Hightower reported.

"We come together in love for Lauren," said vigil organizer Tina Merriweather.

Police said the girl's parents lied to investigators about seeking timely medical treatment for Lauren, and that besides the extremely high levels of salt in her system, the girl showed signs of physical trauma.

"I'm just very sad that something like this could happen in out community," said Patty Brobst, who attended the vigil. "I don't understand how a girl 5 years old could go through so much hell."

Neighbors said they hope Friday's vigil will help the community heal.

"It just makes you come together as a neighborhood for these people because I have grandkids at this same age," said Kevin Bonner.

Police said there were eight people living in the home, including the girl's grandparents. A collection was taken at the vigil for the girl's siblings.

Jerry Sparks said he just want to see justice served and mercy for Lauren.

"I hope God will give her heaven," he said, "because she had nothing but hell on earth."


http://www.theindychannel.com/news/23960673/detail.html

Judge: McConniel jurors can hear about childrens' comments
Written by
DOUGLAS WALKER
MUNCIE -- All things considered, it probably wasn't the best of weeks for Brittany McConniel.

On Friday, a judge ruled that jurors in the Muncie woman's upcoming neglect trial can hear accounts of comments two children made about the Muncie woman's treatment of her alleged victim, her stepdaughter, Lauren.

Brittany McConniel, 25, and her husband, Ryan, 34, were charged last June with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Class A felony carrying a standard 30-year prison term, in connection with Lauren's March 2010 death.

Authorities said the 5-year-old girl died after not receiving adequate treatment for a number of health problems.

At Friday's hearing, Delaware Circuit Court 5 Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. ruled that when Brittany McConniel goes on trial on May 9, prosecutors can present the testimony of a New Castle psychologist who examined Lauren McConniel's older sister and Brittany McConniel's young son from a prior relationship.

The mental health professional, Kenneth McCoy, told Cannon on Friday that Lauren McConniel's sister told him she saw their stepmother beat the bottoms of Lauren's feet with sticks.

Brittany McConniel's son, meanwhile, told the psychologist that "Lauren died on the cross" because she had been spanked so frequently.

McCoy examined the children at the request of child-welfare authorities.

Also Friday, Cannon ruled prosecutors could present most -- but not all -- of the autospy photographs they had hoped to display to jurors.

Deputy Prosecutor Eric Hoffman had argued the photographs were needed to show Lauren's "severe emaciation" at the time of her death.

On Thursday, Cannon had denied several pre-trial motions filed by Brittany McConniel's public defender, Zaki Ali, including requests to move her trial out of Delaware County, to call a "test jury" to evaluate the impact of pre-trial publicity, to sequester prospective jurors during jury selection and the jury during the trial, and to question prospective jurors individually rather than as a group.

Also Thursday, Ryan McConniel signed a proposed deal with prosecutors that calls for him to plead guilty to a reduced count of neglect that carries a maximum 20-year sentence.

In exchange, McConniel has agreed to testify against his soon-to-be-ex wife -- the couple's divorce will be final upon the payment of court fees -- and perhaps other suspects if the investigation into Lauren's death expands.

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20110409/BUSTED/104090310/Judge-McConniel-jurors-can-hear-about-childrens-comments

Man strikes a deal in daughter's death

April 08, 2011 by indystar | Staff
Muncie father will plead guilty and will testify against his wife; he could get 20 years in prison

MUNCIE, Ind. — A Muncie man has struck a deal with prosecutors and will plead guilty to a charge stemming from his 5-year-old daughter’s death that could send him to prison for up to 20 years.

As part of the plea agreement, Ryan McConniel is expected to testify against his estranged wife, Brittany, who is charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a felony carrying a maximum 50-year prison term. Her trial is set for May 9.

The McConniels are charged in the March 2010 death of their daughter, Lauren. Authorities allege the child died after not receiving treatment for a variety of health problems.

Ryan McConniel, 34, and Brittany McConniel, 25, were charged in June.

The plea bargain would have to be accepted by Delaware Circuit Judge Thomas Cannon Jr., who has not scheduled a hearing in the case.

Ryan McConniel would plead guilty to neglect of a dependent, a felony carrying a standard 10-year term. The length of his sentence, which could range from 6 to 20 years, would be left up to Cannon.

According to the plea agreement, McConniel would be required to give “truthful testimony” in grand jury proceedings and trials in the case.

http://www.indy.com/posts/man-strikes-a-deal-in-daughter-s-death

Banditbird, my fine feathered friend, not only do I thank you for the updates, but you also presented then in chrono order. Nice!

Thank you -- I hoped I hadn't messed up.

I have been following this case for a while and it seemed like -- all at once -- there was a flurry of activity.

Now that the father has turned on the step-monster, it should be very interesting. I have written a case on Lauren and if you read the probable cause affidavits (warning - very graphic!) then you come to the conclusion that someone was really playing adult head games with this little girl. Not to mention severe sexual abuse, physical abuse, medical neglect, and of course, poisoning Lauren by force-feeding her large amounts of salt.

And, I must admit, this case really got to me. Of course, it reminds me of Alexis (Lexi) Pounder and Summer Lytle Phelps -- the "fathers" even resemble one another.

But what sets this case apart from the other two, at least for me, is Amber Huggins. She reminded me of my mother and the problems my mom had with my father. He used my sister and me as hostages and bargaining chips with my mother. Amber looked and looked for her girls and Ryan and his relatives hid the girls from her. Kaylynn will at least get to know that what Brittany and Ryan told her was untrue (that her mother didn't want her and Lauren), but little Lauren didn't know until the end when her mother was there in the hospital with her.

And most heartbreaking of all was the report that Lauren would sit on her bed and stare at the wall for hours just repeating, over and over again, "I hate myself, I hate myself, I hate myself."

Sorry to ramble, but like I said, I really am attached to this case.

Physician: Lauren McConniel's body 'just could not handle it any more'





9:15 PM, May. 13, 2011


MUNCIE -- The medical director of Riley Hospital for Children's pediatric intensive care unit testified Friday that a team of physicians "all believed" Lauren McConniel had been subjected to "forcible salt intake," leading to her March 2010 death.





The apparent consumption of "a very large amount" of salt by the 5-year-old Muncie girl, described by witnesses as malnourished and emaciated in the final weeks of her life, raised her sodium level to potentially lethal heights, and her weakened body was unable to recover from the resulting shock and brain seizures, physician Andrea Weist told Delaware Circuit Court 5 jurors.

"Her body just could not handle it any more," Weist said, adding that she believed that Lauren had also been subjected to "active" physical abuse.

The trial of Lauren's stepmother, 25-year-old Brittany McConniel, will enter its second week when testimony resumes at 8:30 a.m. Monday.

McConniel is charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Class A felony carrying a standard 30-year prison term. Prosecutors have alleged the defendant and Brittany's father, Ryan, failed to seek medical attention for the ailing child despite her massive weight loss and self-destructive behavior in the final weeks of her life.

Ryan McConniel -- who has agreed to plead guilty to a neglect charge that could send him to prison for 20 years -- this week testified his now-ex-wife was abusive to Lauren, his daughter from a previous marriage, after she joined their household in August 2009, inflicting severe punishments that included beatings and forced exercise. He also described incidents of forced feeding.

Weist testified Friday that she alerted Riley's chid abuse team within hours of the girl's arrival at the Indianapolis hospital.

"She was malnourished to the point of near-death and (had) a lot of bruising," the physician said. "(Her father and stepmother) had a story that didn't fit the circumstances."

Several witnesses -- including Ryan McConniel -- testified this week that the couple repeatedly lied to those expressing concern about Lauren's deteriorating condition and appearance, falsely claiming she was under the care of a Winchester physician for her weight loss.(Page 2 of 2)



When they mentioned the purported treatment by the Winchester doctor to Weist, she told the McConniels that she happened to know that physician and would call him.

"They told me (then) they had not actually seen him," she said.

Weist said Lauren arrived at the hospital with bruises covering her body "in various stages of healing."

Ryan McConniel said punishments for Lauren concocted by the defendant and her stepfather, Robert E. Lee, included beating the girl's hands and the soles of her feet with posts removed from a wooden crib, and her legs with wet rags.

Weist said it quickly became apparent, based on "very grim neurological findings," that Lauren had "gone past the point" of being able to recover.

A therapist for Meridian Services who interviewed Lauren in February 2010, said the girl told her she had earlier been abused by her mother, from whose Tennessee home she was removed by the McConniels seven months before her death.

The witness said because Brittany McConniel used nearly identical wording in referring the Tennessee allegations during a separate conversation, it raised suspicions Lauren's comments had been "prompted" by her stepmother.

Ryan McConniel also maintained those allegations of abuse were the creation of Brittany McConniel, and Weist testified those claims were "obviously not true," based on photographs of a seemingly happy and healthy Lauren taken while in her mother's care that contrasted sharply with her later condition.

Defense attorney Zaki Ali asked Weist why others -- including medical professionals at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, who examined Lauren for a possible head injury hours before she was taken to Riley -- didn't recognize the dire state of the girl's health.

"Anyone who saw that child should have known," Weist said. "I would have thought anyone on the street would have known something was wrong."

Earlier witnesses noted that after they had been assured by the McConniels that the Winchester physician was treating Lauren for her weight-loss woes, they limited their focus to other problems.

The Meridian Services therapist said she had called Child Protective Services authorities with her concerns about Lauren's condition, and also tried, without success, to arrange for the McConniels to take the child to a pediatrician.

Delaware County Prosecutor Jeffrey Arnold and Deputy Prosecutor Eric Hoffman's case against McConniel is expected to produce at least two more days of testimony.



Read more>
http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20110514/NEWS01/105140312/Physician-Lauren-McConniel-s-body-just-could-not-handle-any-more-?odyssey=mod_sectionstories

Ryan McConniel: 'I believe she's guilty'
A father testifies against his ex-wife early in her trial for the death of 5-year-old Lauren McConniel
May 11, 2011

Written by DOUGLAS WALKER


MUNCIE -- When Ryan McConniel told his wife he felt she was responsible for the death of his 5-year-old daughter, she reportedly responded, "Prove it."

On Tuesday, prosecutors began an effort to do exactly that.

Testimony is under way in the Delaware Circuit Court 5 trial of Brittany McConniel, 25, charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Class A felony carrying a maximum 50-year prison term.

Authorities say Lauren McConniel died in March 2010 after her father and stepmother failed to seek medical treatment for the malnourished girl's many health ailments.

Deputy Prosecutor Eric Hoffman's at-times-emotional opening statement to jurors suggested the girl was also the target of extreme abuse from her stepmother, and perhaps others, in their family's South Ebright Street home, which Hoffman said became "a house of horror."

As expected, Ryan McConniel, 34, took the witness stand Tuesday to testify against his now-former-wife.

While most of Prosecutor Jeffrey Arnold's questions about specific allegations of abuse and neglect will come when the victim's father returns to the stand at 8:30 a.m. today, McConniel did discuss his decision to strike a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to plead guilty to a neglect charge that could send him to prison for 20 years.

"Looking back on everything now, I could have done something more to stop the abuse," McConniel said. "I believe (Brittany) is guilty. ... I just want the truth to be known. It is what it is."

Under questioning from Arnold, McConniel said his two daughters from a previous marriage were in the care of his wife for up to 14 hours daily while he worked at a local factory and attended classes at Ivy Tech.

Ryan McConniel said his family shared the Ebright Street house with Brittany McConniel's mother, stepfather and sister, but that he was generally the household's only wage-earner.

In his opening remarks Tuesday morning, Hoffman:

• Said Lauren McConniel was a "beautiful, happy, loving 5-year-old girl" when she was removed from her mother's Tennessee home and put in the care of her father and stepmother in August 2009.

Over the next seven months, she transformed into a "pale, fragile, malnourished and exhausted child" who had been "beaten, abused, tortured and neglected."

When she died in Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Lauren's body was "mysteriously full of salt," which was a major factor in her death, he said.

While no one has been formally charged with forcing the child to ingest the mineral, there appeared to be an over-abundance of salt in the McConniel home, Hoffman said, including a large spaghetti sauce jar full of salt.

• Told jurors that witnesses, including Ryan McConniel, would testify about extreme punishments Brittany McConniel inflicted on her stepdaughter, including forcing her to hold up cans of vegetables for extended periods of time, do jumping jacks until she collapsed from exhaustion and beating the bottoms of the girl's feet with sticks.

"The last six months of Lauren's life was a living hell," Hoffman said.

• Said several witnesses would testify that Brittany McConniel told them, falsely, that Lauren was under the care of a Winchester physician during the months her weight was plummeting and the girl's behavior was becoming increasingly disturbing and self-destructive.

• Maintained witnesses at Riley Hospital the day Lauren died saw the victim's stepmother and members of her family "laughing, joking, having a good old time" within minutes of the child's death.

By contrast, Lauren's mother, Amber Huggins, on Tuesday tearfully recalled holding her daughter in her last moments after life-support devices were shut off.

Huggins -- who lost custody of her daughters in an Arkansas court hearing at which she didn't have legal representation -- said Ryan and Brittany McConniel gave her a false address when they took Lauren from her mother's Tennessee home in August 2009.

Huggins said she repeatedly tried to track down Lauren and the McConniels over the next seven months, but didn't see her daughter again until she was near death at Riley Hospital.

"I couldn't find her," the mother testified.

When he took the witness stand, Ryan McConniel maintained Brittany McConniel was the driving force in seizing custody of Lauren from her mother.

Defense attorney Zaki Ali -- who didn't make an opening statement to jurors -- objected when Arnold asked a question that seemed to imply the defendant had been motivated by a pursuit of weekly child support payments from Huggins.

A mental health professional also testified Tuesday that Lauren's older sister described the punishment -- including foot beatings and jumping jacks -- inflicted on the victim, and said she and her sister had received "the hardest whipping a kid can ever get."

Psychologist Kenneth McCoy also said Brittany McConniel's 4-year-old son told him Lauren had died "because she got too many spankings."

Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. has said the trial could last as long as two weeks.

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20110511/NEWS01/105110315/Ryan-McConniel-believe-she-s-guilty-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage%20DontMiss