( Blaze )
Louisiana police said a drug-addled couple were guilty of neglecting their infant daughter until she died of starvation and dehydration, but neither showed any remorse during questioning.
"I've seen animals, wild animals, take better care of their babies," said St. John the Baptist Sheriff Mike Tegre at a media briefing.
Tegre said that deputies had responded to a call from 24-year-old Angel Taylor after she told a 911 operator that her 4-month-old baby daughter was not breathing.
Police said that when they arrived at the trailer in Reserve, they found the child lying lifeless on a bed.
Investigators said the autopsy report contradicted Taylor's claim that she had put the child to bed an hour before calling police. The report said that the child was extremely malnourished, dehydrated, starved, and had likely been dead for a long time.
They also found the couple's 13-month-old son showing signs of neglect.
Police arrested Taylor and 31-year-old Chevy Lefountain for the death of their child.
Tegre said that the parents admitted to treating the children poorly and that their drug abuse played a role in their actions.
"The father blames everybody but himself. He even blamed the people that provided him the drugs, with his drug abuse problem," Tegre explained. "And the mother said she did drugs to the point where she passed out, and she didn't know she was passed out for hours and hours at a time.
He added that they “appeared unremorseful” during questioning by police.
The two parents face charges of second-degree murder as well as neglect and child abuse. Each has a $600,000 bond for release.
Their boy was taken into custody by child protective services. Neighbors said they were heartbroken to discover what was going on next door to them.
The two could face life in prison if convicted of the charges.
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