The truth is that a lot of us have fallen asleep with a baby in our beds, even if just by accident. The thing to remember is that the situation can quickly grow very dangerous for them when there are other children — or even adults — in the bed who aren’t mindful of their position and objects like pillows and blankets. Overall, it’s always a good idea for small babies to have their own sleep space. An Indiana mother discovered this in the most tragic way possible after her 2-month-old baby died due to an improper co-sleeping environment. The mom now faces charges of criminal neglect.
The mother was charged after her infant died because of an unsafe co-sleeping situation.
According to a probable cause affidavit, police were called to an Indianapolis hospital on September 19, 2024, following the death of 27-year-old Brooklyn Davis’ baby, WKRC reported.
The baby boy had been found unresponsive in the family’s home early that morning, and Davis attempted CPR before he was taken to the hospital, per WKRC. The affidavit states that the boy had been sleeping on Davis’ bed with his 6-year-old brother.
The autopsy concluded that the baby’s cause of death was “sudden explained death of an infant” with an intrinsic factor, which concluded being “placed to sleep in a queen-sized mattress being shared with a 6-year-old sibling, along with numerous blankets and other miscellaneous items,” WKRC reported. The autopsy also stated that the infant was “discovered unresponsive in a prone position” with his face to the side and partially covered by a blanket.
The mother owned a licensed day care and was trained on safe sleeping environments.
According to Fox 59, Davis said the infant had no known health issues.
Davis ran an FSSA-licensed day care and had “extensive training on child care and safe sleeping environments,” per Fox 59. Her baby had been born marijuana positive, according to court documents, and Davis was known to DCS.
The mom had previously signed a Safe Sleep Safety Plan, in which she acknowledged that she understood the safest place for her baby to sleep was “in a crib, pack and play or bassinet,” per Fox 59. The agreement that Davis signed stated that “sleeping on a couch, adult bed, or bean bag increases my baby’s risk of suffocation.”
It’s such a sad thing that Davis had this plan in place and decided to ignore it. Tragically, her baby paid the ultimate price for that decision.
Davis reportedly told a detective that she ‘didn’t do anything wrong.’
Other children in the home allegedly indicated that co-sleeping with the baby frequently took place, according to Law & Crime. The affidavit noted that because of Davis’ actions, her two remaining children were removed from her home by DCS.
A detective wrote that through attempting multiple follow-up interviews after her baby’s death, Davis said in February 2025 that she “didn’t do anything wrong, her baby died of SIDS,” Law & Crime reported.
According to Fox 59, Davis said in an interview that she left the bed that night to go downstairs and smoke marijuana, which left the children by themselves in the bed. She showed investigators video of her baby sleeping chest down on her 6-year-old son’s chest.
The safety plan that she signed also stipulated that she was not to use marijuana while caring for her children, per the outlet.
According to unsealed court documents, Davis faces three counts of neglect of a dependent. The charges include one count as a Level 3 felony and two counts as Level 6 felonies.
It’s truly heartbreaking that Davis was given help and guidance when it came to figuring out the best care plan for her baby but that ultimately, she never followed through. Hopefully this infant’s untimely death serves as a harsh reminder to other parents to always be mindful of their children’s sleep spaces.
