GABRIEL BYARS - 1 Month (2009) - Muskogee (SE of Tulsa) OK

Muskogee OK ---- A Muskogee couple are in the
Muskogee County jail charged with child abuse and neglect in the death
of their one-month old son in late December.

Daniel Byars, 31, and Kristin
Battenfield-Humphrey, 25 were in a Muskogee County courtroom on Tuesday.

According to court records, the couple was
arrested Monday following an investigation into the death of the infant,
who was born premature at a Tulsa hospital.






Those records stated that in December, the infant
was allowed to go home with a heart monitor, and a doctor said it was
not to be turned off.

The Muskogee County DA's office charges that the couple
turned the monitor off.

An autopsy report says the cause of death was
sudden infant death syndrome.

Both remain in the Muskogee County jail.

Their next court hearing is July 11.

Gabriel Byars, 1 month, died Dec. 29.
A pediatric physician at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa ordered Gabriel, who had been born premature, remain on a heart monitor when he went home. The monitor reminded him to breath and/or alarm the parents of his breathing and/or heart rate if it fell below normal.

The court filing states the couple turned off the monitor against medical advice.
[...]

The autopsy report said cause of death may have been due to sudden infant death syndrome or complications of prematurity.

It also said there was a reported history the baby was sleeping with adults, so accidental suffocation could not be ruled out.

The heart monitor had been turned off at 2 p.m. Dec. 28 and was not turned back on, the autopsy report said. An affidavit filed in the court case states the baby was found unresponsive at 7 a.m. the next morning.

At his initial appearance in court Tuesday, Byars told the court the monitor light was on and he didn’t know the monitor was not operating properly.

“We obtained the monitor records and talked with the doctors involved in the child’s care and did an investigation,” said Muskogee County Assistant District Attorney Nikki Baker. “We were able to establish it was operational.”

Evidence also has been submitted that illegal drugs were found inside the room where the baby was.

Fairchild said at the time the baby died that the Department of Human Services took custody of her daughter’s three other children, ages 2, 3 and 6. Those children were returned to their mother about three months ago, but the DHS case was still open.

The grandmother said in a court hearing within the last two weeks that DHS indicated it was preparing to close the DHS case.

DHS again removed the three children when Byars and Battenfield-Humphrey were arrested at their apartment Monday night, the grandmother said.

http://muskogeephoenix.com/local/x1358986633/Couple-charged-in-baby-s-death

Parents charged with neglect in child's death

Posted: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 12:00 am
Updated: 9:28 pm, Wed Oct 2, 2013.

SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer

MUSKOGEE — The parents of a 1-month-old boy who died of unknown causes in December have been charged with child neglect in connection with his death.

The Muskogee County District Attorney's Office alleges that Kristin Battenfield-Humphrey, 25, and Daniel Byars, 31, removed the baby from a heart-monitor against the advice of his pediatrician.

Gabriel Lee Byars was born premature and was later released from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa.

According to court records, the heart monitor was to be used at home to alert his parents if his breathing or heart rate decreased.

The child died less than 24 hours after the monitor was removed, records show.

An autopsy report says the monitor was turned off about 2 p.m. Dec. 28 and was never turned back on. Gabriel was found unresponsive about 7 a.m. Dec. 29 and was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later at Muskogee Regional Medical Center, records show.

The state Medical Examiner's Office's report lists his manner of death as unknown but states possible causes as sudden infant death syndrome, complications of prematurity or accidental suffocation.

Accidental suffocation was included because Gabriel had been sleeping in a bed with family members and there was a reported history of "co-sleeping with adults."

The couple made initial court appearances Tuesday and were ordered to return to court July 1.

They are in the Muskogee County Jail with bail set at $150,000 each.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/courts/parents-charged-with-neglect-in-child-s-death/article_c69a502f-a831-5c83-aec2-b54cacbbe3ca.html