Honk News (Miami, FL) – A couple, both 30 and previously serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, has been taken into custody following the tragic death of their 2-year-old daughter. The child reportedly asphyxiated in her crib after a heavy suitcase, intended to prevent her from leaving, fell and trapped her by the neck at a Florida Air Force base.
Kodi Glenn Simon and Kateri Ann Simon were arrested last week close to Cleveland, Ohio, facing one count each of involuntary manslaughter related to the 2022 death of young Maeve Simon, according to records examined by Law&Crime.
A recent federal indictment in Florida has emerged, lacking specifics on the alleged offense but asserting that the parents are responsible for their daughter’s death due to actions taken “without malice.”
“[O]n or about July 1, 2022, through on or about Nov. 27, 2022, at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida […] the defendants Kodi Glenn Simon and Kateri Ann Simon, aiding and abetting one another, did unlawfully kill Victim 1, without malice, in the commission in an unlawful manner, and without due caution and circumspection, of a lawful act which might produce death,” the two-page indictment states.
Documents from Kodi Simon’s court martial indicate that the event occurred at the couple’s residence on the evening of November 26, 2022. A brief overview of the allegations indicates that he compromised his daughter’s safety by situating her in a portable crib and subsequently placing “a foam mattress and suitcase filled with books” atop the crib.
A report from the Florida Department of Children and Families, acquired by the Tampa Bay Times, sheds more light on the circumstances surrounding Maeve’s death.
A recent report reveals that Maeve has been struggling with nighttime sleep, frequently escaping her crib, creating a mess in her room, and disturbing her two siblings, aged 4 and 6. Worried about Maeve’s actions and her well-being, the Simons attempted to place the girl in a Pack N’ Play, but she managed to escape from it too.
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Despite the Simons’ efforts to secure the Pack N’ Play with a zip-on mesh top and place Maeve in a sleep sack that limited her movement, the child managed to escape, according to the documents. Eventually, the couple started to pile the suitcase brimming with books, which was said to weigh around 50 pounds, atop the mesh covering alongside the children’s foam couch.
Kodi Simons recounted that he settled the three children down for the night around 8:30 to 9 p.m. He noted that Maeve continued to “babble” for another 15 minutes before falling silent, leading him to believe she had drifted off to sleep. She returned home a few hours later.
Kateri Simon, around 9:30 the next morning, allegedly entered the children’s room and discovered Maeve in the Pack N’ Play, with a suitcase and other belongings pressed down on her neck. Emergency services were contacted without delay, yet the child was pronounced dead upon reaching the nearby hospital.
A DCF investigator noted in the report that the parents intentionally covered the toddler’s Pack N’ Play with items to keep her contained within it. “While their intentions were not rooted in discipline, and they did not aim to cause her harm, their actions ultimately resulted in her tragic end.”
Officials highlighted in the report that Maeve’s siblings seemed to be well looked after, and the Simons allegedly had no prior issues concerning the well-being of their children.
Kodi Simon, having entered a guilty plea for child endangerment during his court martial last year, has waived extradition and is currently being moved from Ohio to Florida. Meanwhile, Kateri Simon has been released on a $20,000 unsecured bond, according to federal records.