Around Us: Police Say Cause Of Shaylyn Ammerman’s Death Was Asphyxiation
SPENCER — The coroner has determined that 1-year-old Shaylyn Ammerman died from asphyxiation. Her death has been ruled a homicide.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Donna Stewart performed the autopsy at the State of Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office in Louisville, Ky.
Shaylyn’s body was found Thursday, March 25, a day after she was reported missing from her home.
Kyle Parker, 22, has been arrested in connection with her death and faces preliminary charges of two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of failure to report a dead body and one count of improper disposal of a corpse. Owen County Prosecutor Don VanDerMoere said he hopes to make formal charging decisions by Monday, March 28.
“The hope is that by Monday we will be in a position to make appropriate charging decisions,” he said.
State police say the body of an infant female matching Shaylyn’s description was found in a remote area near the White River northeast of Gosport.
“Very, very rural area. It’s a private access. It’s on private property near Gosport,” said ISP Sgt. Curt Durnil. Investigators will return to that scene Friday to look for more clues about what happened to the little girl.
Kyle Parker, 22, of Spencer, has been taken into custody in connection with the case, which remains under investigation. Relatives of the girl didn’t mince words when discussing the news or the man in custody.
“Burn in hell, Kyle Parker,” said Shaylyn’s father, Justin Ammerman.
“Kyle or whoever is the cause of it, I hope the wrath of God comes on him,” said grandfather Daniel Morgan.
Through a family friend, Shaylyn’s mother, Jessica Morgan, told us she had no comment Thursday night. On Facebook, she posted “Heartbroken. My baby girl Shaylyn is gone. They found her body tonight.”
State police say they were led to the girl’s body by information generated by the nearly two-day investigation. They said they talked to up to 10 persons of interest in the case, but say it’s too early to call the investigation over.
Parker faces preliminary charges of two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of failure to report a dead body, and one count of improper disposal of a corpse.
Specific charges are to be worked out by the Owen County prosecutor. Parker’s exact role in the case is still unclear and it remains to be seen if more people will be charged.
An autopsy Friday, March 25, in Louisville is expected to provide more answers.
“I would still say that we are interested in speaking to these people to get the full story and that’s what we would love to do,” Sgt. Durnil said. “We would love to clear them of any suspicion or any action. That would be our goal, but clearly, in those investigations, other things come out and we go from there for the investigative process.”
Source: WTHR