A mother from Indiana has been sentenced to many years behind bars for the tragic death of her 2-month-old son, who succumbed to starvation.
A 23-year-old woman, Caylin Opal Marie Monroe, received a 65-year prison sentence on Friday following the death of Silas Scott, according to online court records. Jakob Chance Scott, the father, faced charges in connection with the case. He will be in court on December 2.
In February 2022, authorities were called to 3844 Honeysuckle Drive in Warrick County regarding an unresponsive infant, prompting the Warrick County Sheriff’s Office to initiate an investigation. Medical units at the residence attempted to resuscitate the baby but ultimately pronounced the infant deceased at the location.
Officials dedicated several months to the investigation. On April 21, 2022, following the collection of evidence indicating that the infant had succumbed to starvation, law enforcement interrogated the couple.
A document details the claims made by the couple during their discussions with investigators.
Monroe informed authorities that the infant was born petite yet in good health, facing challenges in growth. She expressed concern that something might be wrong with the baby, but the document noted that she never found the time to reach out for a new pediatrician.
Upon being confronted by the investigator regarding allegations of her baby being starved, Monroe first claimed that she had been feeding him. However, when the investigator noted the absence of contents in the baby’s stomach during the autopsy and asked if it was typical to skip feedings, “she nodded in agreement and replied, ‘sometimes yeah,’” according to the affidavit.
“Caylin stated sometimes she would be busy and not have time to feed Victim 1,” the document said. “Caylin stated that Victim 1 would miss a feeding every once in a while. Caylin agreed that there would be times where she would forget Victim 1 because he wasn’t making any noise or asleep and she was busy with the other children. Caylin stated she was on a basic routine, and sometimes she would forget to feed Victim 1.”
According to the affidavit, Scott reportedly stated to investigators, “I’d feed him if he was crying.”
The obituary for the young boy referred to him as “Silas’ Shuggie Bear’ Chance-Kent Scott, of Boonville, Indiana,” son of “Jakob and Caylin (Monroe) Scott.” The obituary also mentioned that the infant had three siblings.