Indiana Mother Charged After Baby Girl Dies in Unsafe Co-Sleeping Arrangement: ‘She Slept Better in Her Bed,’ Police Say

An Indiana mother is facing a felony charge months after her infant daughter died following an alleged unsafe sleeping arrangement in the family’s home. Shiann Bodkins, 19, was charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death in connection with the baby’s death in May 2026. According to court documents cited by Law&Crime, emergency responders were called to a residence in Marion, Indiana, on May 3 after receiving reports that a child was in life-threatening condition. The infant was rushed to a hospital, where she remained under medical care until she died six days later, on May 9.

During an interview with investigators, Bodkins allegedly explained that she had stopped using the baby’s bassinet because her daughter seemed uncomfortable sleeping in it. Instead, she reportedly placed the infant in the adult bed between herself and the child’s father. Police said Bodkins acknowledged that she knew co-sleeping with the baby was not considered safe, but claimed her daughter slept better in the bed, allowing her to sleep better as well. She also reportedly told investigators that another family member would watch the baby while she was asleep.

According to the court documents, Bodkins described the events leading up to the discovery. She said she had spent the previous evening playing video games with her mother before going to bed. Between approximately 5:30 and 6 a.m., the baby’s father reportedly woke her so he could get some sleep, and Bodkins took over caring for the infant. She said she got up to feed and change her daughter before returning to bed and placing the baby between herself and the father. Investigators said she described repeating this routine a couple of hours later.

The following morning, Bodkins allegedly told police that her mother woke her around 10 a.m. and said the baby was awake, moving, and making noises. But at approximately 10:30 a.m., her mother reportedly woke her again with a very different message: the infant was no longer moving or breathing. The baby was taken to the hospital, but doctors were unable to save her. An autopsy reportedly listed the cause of death as anoxic encephalopathy, a form of brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen, and identified an unsafe sleep environment as a contributing factor.

Bodkins was charged months after the incident, and her case was scheduled for another court appearance on November 6, 2026. She did not appear on the Grant County Sheriff’s Office jail roster when Law&Crime published its report on November 4, and the article did not specify whether she had been taken into custody or released. The charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in death is an allegation, not a conviction. As the case proceeds, the court will consider the circumstances surrounding the infant’s final hours and the evidence gathered by investigators.

Source: Law&Crime