
A mother in Indianapolis allegedly chose to spend time with her boyfriend over caring for her young children. Tragically, one of them wound up dead. Chantell Gardner, 33, called 911 on January 25, 2025, reporting that she had found her 2-year-old daughter, Skylar Gardner, unresponsive.
When officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the apartment in the 6300 Block of Newberry Road, what they found shocked them.
Not only had Skylar died, but she and her 4-year-old brother also had allegedly been living in squalor. According to court documents obtained by the Indianapolis Star, Gardner reportedly told police that she called for her children to come for dinner, but Skylar did not respond.
When the mother went looking for her, she allegedly found the toddler unresponsive under a dresser. Police reported the family lived in a home littered with trash, rotten food, and human feces covering the furniture and walls.
More from CafeMom: Police Say Mom of 4 Abandoned Kids in Apartment So Disgusting Smell ‘Was Burning My Nostrils’
When emergency crews arrived, they assessed Skylar and pronounced her dead at the scene. Per the Star, the toddler’s body became stiff from rigor mortis. Sadly, an investigation of the child’s body revealed multiple injuries. She allegedly had bruises, injuries to her face, torso and genitals, and a puncture wound to her neck. It is unclear how she obtained the wound or the exact cause of death.
During an interview, Gardner reportedly told police she did not stay at her apartment at night, instead, opting to stay with her unnamed boyfriend. The mother allegedly admitted to leaving her young children unattended most of the time but claimed she returned to feed them once a day.
The mother also admitted she last bathed her children a week or two ago, despite noticing feces on their hands and faces.
More from CafeMom: Police Find 14-Year-Old Living in Filth With 77 Animals, No Running Water
Gardner faces a felony charge of neglecting a dependent, resulting in death, according to Fox 59.
Mario Massillamany, an attorney not involved with the case, believes the state has a strong case against Gardner, even though Indiana has no specific laws regarding how old a child must be before he can be left alone.
“The law doesn’t specify a specific age because the law doesn’t want to specify an age,” Massillamany explained to Fox 59. “In this situation, you have a 2- and 3-year-old. Clearly, they’re not able to stay by themselves.”
Massillamany added, “With neglect of a dependent, you don’t have to show she intentionally tried to harm them. She just put them in a situation that risked their lives.”
According to her Facebook account, Gardner appeared to live a full life while her children allegedly stayed home alone in filth.
On January 7, she posted about a hair appointment, “CAN WE START NEXT YEAR WITH BOOKING IN ADVANCE? I NEED MY HAIR DONE TUHDAY.”
“DONT STRESS YO SELF OUT SWEETHEART,” she wrote on January 13.
And on January 22, she posted about a career move, “I WANNA COLLAB WITH A FEMALE SINGER …I GOT A CLASSIC IN THE MAKIN. WHO SHOULD I PUT ON HERE.”
Per Indiana law, Gardner could receive up to 40 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.