The father and babysitter of an Illinois toddler are accused of killing the 23-month-old girl, who died from infected thermal burns allegedly suffered in a home where the child’s hair was found inside an oven door.
The babysitter, Courtney N. Heath, and the father, Payton M. Beaver, each face one count of first-degree murder, along with charges of child endangerment causing death.
The Paris Police Department said in a press release that officers, firefighters and paramedics responded on Sept. 21 to a residence in the 200 block of West Edgar Street after a 911 call about a juvenile suffering seizures. The girl was taken by ambulance to Horizon Health Paris Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 7:42 p.m.
The Edgar County Coroner’s Office released its final autopsy findings on Oct. 22. It ruled that the cause of death was “sepsis due to scalding thermal burns” and that the manner of death was a homicide. The child’s name is being withheld, though court documents refer to her as “Z.B.”
According to the charging documents, Heath “allowed” the toddler to suffer the fatal burns, while Beaver “was aware” of the injuries and did not seek medical help for about 32 hours, by which point it was too late, Champaign, Illinois-based WCIA reported.
The allegations are laid out in a probable cause affidavit obtained by Terre Haute.
Heath allegedly told investigators the child had been burned in a hot shower. But the affidavit reportedly states that “the E.R. doctor noted the injuries Z.B. sustained were not consistent with a water or shower burn.” Investigators also found hairs consistent with the toddler’s hair “inside an oven door with follicles attached.”
The babysitter said she applied aloe vera gel to the burns, which continued to worsen while the girl was in her care. She reportedly kept the child overnight and returned her to her father at 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 21.
Police said Beaver then cared for the girl until 5:30 p.m. During that time, he allegedly saw her injuries but chose not to seek help because he thought he might get in trouble.
“He admitted seeing the injuries and treating them with triple antibiotic ointment but did not intend to seek medical care, due to being too concerned about being arrested,” investigators wrote.
Later that afternoon, Heath bought burn gel and gauze at Dollar General, picked the child up from Beaver and took her to her own home to tend to the wounds, the affidavit states. Shortly after they arrived, Heath said, the toddler went limp and began having seizures. She contacted Beaver before calling 911 at 6:59 p.m.
“During his interview, Payton [Beaver] admitted that he knew Z.B. needed to be [seen] by a doctor, but refused to seek medical attention due to his own concern of being arrested,” the affidavit states.
Both defendants remain in the Edgar County Jail without bond. They are scheduled to appear in court again on Nov. 20.