The parents and brother of a 14-year-old child with disabilities have been arrested after the South Carolina teen died in one of the "absolute worst case of child neglect," according to reports.
Heather Baynard, 14, suffered from cerebral palsy. She died after her father, David Eugene Baynard, brought her listless and unresponsive to the Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Her body was already cold, and her skin was gray when she was brought in.
Medical staff who treated Heather said her father did not show any emotion or urgency when he brought his daughter to the hospital that night. He only sat in the waiting room and looked through his phone. Heather died from her injuries and infections on April 11, 2022, per WYFF 4 in Greenville.
Autopsy, Subsequent Investigation on 14-Year-Old's Death
Following Heather's death, an autopsy was performed on her body. The medical examiner found evidence that she had been neglected for many months. A witness who spoke in the court trial for her parents and brother also said her legs had rotted to the point where they looked like raw meat, as reported by the New York Post, citing Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler.
Apart from the autopsy, authorities also searched the teen's family home and found it full of junk, garbage, urine, and feces, which caused Heather's skin to break down and rot.
Furthermore, there were at least 40 malnourished, flea-infested animals living inside the home, contributing to the poor conditions. In fact, investigators had to wear safety suits and respirators to search the home.
Fowler described Heather's case as the "absolute worst case of child neglect."
Parents, Brother Sentenced for Murder, Neglect
Her father, 55-year-old David, and her mother, 45-year-old Bobbie Joe, were sentenced to life in prison for murder. That was in addition to 20 years for infliction of great bodily injury upon a child and another 10 for child neglect.
Her brother, 22-year-old Edward, was convicted of the same crimes as his parents and was given 30 years for murder, 20 years for inflicting great bodily injury, and 10 years for unlawful neglect.
It was noted that Edward was hired as his sister's personal care aid through Axcess Homecare and made more than $25,000 in the 18 months he was employed to provide care for Heather.
