Sentenced: Evanston Couple Charged In Death Of Baby With Severe Diaper Rash Living In Filth

[Sugar Cookie]

Bailey Bettinson and Tevin Medina are facing manslaughter charges in their infant daughter’s October 2023 death.

Evanston Police Detective Scott Faddis arrived on the scene to find 21-year-old Bettinson performing CPR on her nine-month-old daughter.

31-year-old Tevin Medina would later tell police they took her outside for CPR so her 3-year-old sister would not see.

Faddis found the baby’s body contracting into rigor mortis, the affidavit says.

When interviewed by police, Medina said he was the one who found the baby unresponsive early that morning. She was lying on her side with a blanket over her head in her upstairs bedroom, Medina reportedly said.

The document says Medina ran downstairs and told R.M’s mother that the baby was dead, and the mother needed to go upstairs and perform CPR on the baby.

An ambulance took the girl to the Evanston Regional Hospital, where medical staff pronounced her dead.

Medical personnel identified an extensive rash around the girl’s vaginal, buttocks and leg area as diaper rash. The rash was so extensive it was permeating her flesh as well as her skin, the affidavit relates.


The document says staffers also found “unexplained bruising” near her genital area.

When he conducted an autopsy three days later, Fremont County forensic pathologist Dr. Randall Frost could not determine the cause of death, but could not rule out asphyxia, the affidavit relates from his report.

The abrasions on the baby’s vaginal area could have been diaper rash, or they could have been pressure abrasions, the document says.

Authorities had investigated the death scene the day they found the baby unresponsive, the affidavit says.

When authorities looked through the apartment, they allegedly found the floors and walls covered with animal feces and urine.

The carpet was filthy. A child’s soiled diaper sat, feces-side-up, on a pile of trash, says the affidavit.

Every room in the residence reportedly was strewn with clutter.

The stench was so bad, detectives had to take breathing breaks outside, the affidavit says.

A neighbor interviewed by police four days after the baby’s death said she’d been worried about the filthy conditions of the home, the document says.

The 3-year-old would run around the apartment complex in only a diaper, her body covered in filth, the neighbor reportedly said, adding that these conditions were worsened when Bettinson’s boyfriend moved in.

The neighbor said she could see and smell the filth from the sidewalk, the document relates.

Two months after R.M.’s death, Evanston Animal Control was dispatched to the defendant’s home regarding the unsafe living conditions for the cats and dogs there.

Evanston Couple Charged With Manslaughter In Baby's Mysterious Death

An Evanston couple were arrested Tuesday and charged with manslaughter in the mysterious death of their 9-month-old baby in October. The baby had a…

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[DeeDee]

Of course there was shit on the walls. Isn't there always? If I had dog shit on my walls I'd probably wash hard enough to mess the wall up and have to repaint.

If the neighbors saw these filthy unattended kids and could smell the place from outside, we better be hearing that someone tried calling to report them. The baby must have cried near constantly in pain from that rash and people had to have heard that too.

If nobody ever reported them, there probably are (and should be) some very heavy regrets in their neighborhood.

There's minding your own business and then there's letting the innocent baby next door rot to death while you keep your mouth shut.

 

[BuffettGirl]

Don't mind me, I'll just be over here gagging and retching...

 

[Angiebla]

Did she die from the diaper rash?

 

[GoneWest]

Of course there was shit on the walls. Isn't there always? If I had dog shit on my walls I'd probably wash hard enough to mess the wall up and have to repaint.

If the neighbors saw these filthy unattended kids and could smell the place from outside, we better be hearing that someone tried calling to report them. The baby must have cried near constantly in pain from that rash and people had to have heard that too.

If nobody ever reported them, there probably are (and should be) some very heavy regrets in their neighborhood.

There's minding your own business and then there's letting the innocent baby next door rot to death while you keep your mouth shut.

CPS has been involved with the family for a while. They had actually been to the house 3 weeks prior to the baby’s death and removed the children because of disgusting conditions. Apparently they were allowed back in short order. The apartment manager was also concerned about the unsanitary environment and police were involved at some point. Can’t really fault the neighbors. It’s from the article at the link.

 

[Angiebla]

CPS has been involved with the family for a while. They had actually been to the house 3 weeks prior to the baby’s death and removed the children because of disgusting conditions. Apparently they were allowed back in short order. The apartment manager was also concerned about the unsanitary environment and police were involved at some point. Can’t really fault the neighbors. It’s from the article at the link.

I wonder why CPS gave the children back considering the conditions they were living in?

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Renezmae

 

[Sugar Cookie]

After the prosecutor conceded a lack of definitive evidence that their filthy homeor the neglect associated with it killed their baby, an Evanston couple was sentenced Tuesday to six months in jail, followed by three years’ probation for child abuse.

Tevin Medina, 32, and Bailey Bettinson, 24, could each face three to six years in prison if they fail probation.

They each pleaded “no contest” earlier this year to felony child abuse, several months after the October 2023 death of their 9-month-old baby Renezmae, who died in their home.

Uinta County Attorney Loretta Howieson Kallas dismissed a count of manslaughter charged against each parent during a Tuesday sentencing hearing in the Evanston-based Uinta County District Court.

“Your honor, this case has been difficult, I believe, for everyone involved,” said Kallas.

She said her office engaged the services of a Primary Children’s Hospital doctor, who wasn’t comfortable concluding in a trial that the parents’ actions resulted directly in the girl’s death.

“While she had some concerns related to the environment Renezmae was in,” said Howieson Kallas, the doctor “did not believe she could provide an opinion that the death of Renezmae was directly related to that, with a degree of certainty.”

Renezmae’s death was “not intentionally inflicted,” and the couple have not been convicted of manslaughter, nor have they admitted to manslaughter at any point, the prosecutor said.

The neglect the girl endured was, “unfortunately, consistent with some of the psychological information we have from both parties,” said Howieson Kallas.

Specifically, Bettinson attested to suffering from post-partum depression, and Medina to having other mental conditions and an intellectual disability.

The prosecutor said she tried to be mindful of the fact that this couple, besides participating in their cases, have also been "dealing with the death of a child."

District Court Judge James Kaste told Medina and Bettinson to continue counseling, and ordered Medina to take a parenting class that Bettinson has already taken.

The pair’s counselor said she does not have concerns about whether Bettinson’s older daughter will be safe around Medina when the pair are out of jail, and if and when they’re reunited with the girl, who would be 4 or 5 years old by now.

Howieson Kallas said the defendants are also “dealing with” a juvenile case which may provide more state supervision over them following their sentencing.

That case is not public.

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Evanston Couple Get 6 Months For Child Abuse In Death Of Baby Found In Filth

An Evanston couple got six months in jail Tuesday for child abuse after the death of their 9-month-old. The sentence comes after a prosecutor conceded…

cowboystatedaily.com