An Indiana woman, who labeled herself as a “super mom,” has been sentenced to nearly ten years in prison following the tragic co-sleeping incident that led to the death of her 4-month-old daughter in 2016, officials revealed this week.
On September 3, Tricia Kay Cavanaugh, 34, entered a guilty plea for a charge of neglecting a dependent, which led to serious bodily harm, in front of Delaware County Circuit Court Judge Douglas Mawhorr.
On Monday, she received a 14-year prison sentence. After completing her sentence in state prison, Cavanaugh will face an extra two years of supervised release, as stated in a press release from the Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
On the morning of June 6, 2016, an incident took place at a home located on North Glenwood Avenue in Muncie, a city situated approximately 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis.
According to court documents, the Muncie Police Department was called to the scene regarding a child who was unresponsive.
Authorities discovered Cavanaugh positioned on the floor in the living room beside her daughter, according to a document outlining the reasons for her arrest without a warrant.
“Officers observed [the child] unresponsive lying on the floor,” the document reads. “Cavanaugh was crying hysterically and trying to give [the child] CPR. Once officers arrived, they took over CPR efforts until EMS arrived.”
The young one was swiftly taken to the nearby Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, as indicated in the court document. Despite ongoing attempts to save her, the girl was ultimately declared dead at 10:11 a.m., according to police reports.
“While officers were inside the residence administering aid, they detected the odor of burnt marijuana,” the affidavit reads.
One of the first officers on the scene carried out a short interview with the mother, who has since faced condemnation, and learned that Cavanaugh “had woken up a few hours earlier and brought” the child to her bed “to breastfeed her.” Then, Cavanaugh said, after her girl was done eating, she “fell asleep” with the baby “on the bed next to her.” When she woke up again, her little girl “was next to her face down.”
Officer Amy Kesler, who wrote the police report, arrived later and observed several important matters at the scene.
Following the favorable drug test results, law enforcement secured a search warrant for the home. Numerous prescription medications were found, along with a number of empty prescription drug containers. Investigators found that at least one of those bottles was present in the residence without Cavanaugh holding a prescription. A previous prescription had expired a few months earlier, as stated in the affidavit.
Cavanaugh seems to have avoided a homicide charge as the autopsy on her daughter could not establish the cause or manner of the child’s death. The doctor who conducted the autopsy noted that “unsafe sleeping conditions” played a role in her death.
Co-sleeping refers to the practice where an adult and a young child sleep in the same bed together. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly discourages this practice for infants because of the significant risk of fatality.
“This case is a prime example of a needless death of an infant due unsafe sleep practices,” Hoffman said in a statement. “Parents and caregivers must follow the ABC’s of the safe sleep. Infants and babies should always sleep Alone, on their Backs, and in a safe Crib. Sleeping with the infant in an adult bed can result in the fatal smothering of an infant. Contrary to the belief of some, sleeping in an adult bed with your infant or, engaging in other unsafe sleep practices is, by definition, child neglect.”
Further inquiry revealed that Cavanaugh had a history with child welfare authorities regarding co-sleeping with her children, and she was fully aware of the associated risks of such practices.
“During one prior investigation from January of 2015, a DCS Case Manager had visited Cavanaugh’s residence and found her co-sleeping with her youngest child, who was 2-months old at the time,” the affidavit reads. “During that investigation DCS Case Manager Alyssa Kistler spoke with Cavanaugh. During that conversation, Cavanaugh stated that she is ‘really bad’ about co-sleeping but ‘understands why it is risky.’ A drug screen was performed at that time, and came back positive for Xanax, Marijuana and Cocaine. That child was removed from the home by the DCS Case Manager due to the dangerous sleeping conditions and Cavanaugh’s drug screen results.”
However, the defendant found themselves in trouble once more. After being informed — once more and consistently — about the risks associated with co-sleeping.
Upon the arrival of her daughter in February 2016, the hospital team implemented particular protocols in light of her previous experiences with child neglect.
Cavanaugh faced charges in July 2017 related to the death of her daughter. Initially, she entered a plea of not guilty — and later secured her release on bail.
Subsequently, she was expected to enter a guilty plea for a serious felony in September 2020 — however, she failed to appear for her sentencing hearing while on pretrial release, as reported by The Star Press. Following that, she faced charges for breaching her pretrial home release conditions, escaping, and theft.
According to the prosecuting attorney’s office, she was taken into custody once more shortly thereafter.
Cavanaugh received credit for the time she spent in pretrial detention during her sentencing hearing. According to Hoffman’s statement to Law&Crime, “she has approximately 9 years remaining on the 14-year sentence due to those credits.”
During the sentencing, Cavanaugh made her appeal by describing herself as a “super mom.”
The presiding judge swiftly reprimanded her: “I have my doubts about that.”