A couple is now facing criminal charges following the death of their infant son a year ago due to malnutrition and sepsis.
Timothy James Soots, 38, and Jesica Lynn Stoops, 35, now residing in Winnsboro, Texas, were both charged on Friday in 7th District Court with child abuse homicide, a first-degree felony.
On May 4, 2023, deputies from the Emery County Sheriff’s Office arrived at a residence in Ferron after receiving a report that a 9-month-old boy was unresponsive and not breathing. The child passed away despite attempts to save them.
Stoops stated that her child was “last been seen by a medical doctor on Jan. 1 when she went to Castleview Hospital. She stated that the baby was underweight and no one could figure out why. She stated that she had been in contact with a naturalist doctor … in Uintah County,”
Responding deputies observed “several mattresses on the floor with blankets like someone was using the living room as a bedroom. I noticed there were copious amounts of essential-type oils all over the living room,” according to charging documents.
“While doing compressions I noticed that the baby was very small for being as old as he was. He looked like he was emaciated and about the same size as a newborn. His arms and legs were very small and his skin was loose. I could see the outline of most of his ribs. I noticed a lot of red or brown colored spots or sores all over his head.”
Another deputy noted that “his backbone and ribs showed through his skin” and noted that “it was reported that a 9-month-old baby was having a reaction to some cream,” the charges state.
The Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office reported that the boy exhibited signs of malnutrition, dehydration, and sepsis, which led to the baby’s death, as stated in the charges.