A Grampian woman is charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony of the second-degree, in connection with the death of her infant daughter.
Alexa Lynn Kephart, 22, is also charged by Trooper David Patrick of the Clearfield-based state police with felony endangering the welfare of children (two counts) and misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person.
Dakota James Lynn Canfield, 23, also of Grampian, is charged with felony endangering the welfare of children (two counts) and misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed with the office of Magisterial District Judge James Glass, on July 1, Kephart and Canfield resided in the 300 block of Stronach Road, Penn Township, with their two children – an infant and 22-month-old.
They all regularly slept in the same bed in the master bedroom, and on June 30, the infant was put in the full-size bed at approximately 10 p.m. At 4:30 a.m. or 5 a.m. July 1, she woke up and Kephart fed her a bottle and changed her diaper.
Kephart and the infant went back to sleep and when Kephart and Canfield woke up at approximately 10:14 a.m., they found the infant lying against Kephart covered with a blanket. She was reportedly unconscious and had turned blue.
Kephart said she took the infant to the living area, and had Canfield hold her as she called 911. She said they laid the infant on the floor and she began life-saving measures until emergency services arrived on-scene.
Clearfield County Coroner Kim Shaffer-Snyder said when fire personnel and an EMT arrived, Kephart and Canfield were waiting in the yard with their child. She said an EMT began CPR until the infant was taken to Penn Highlands DuBois where she was pronounced dead at 11 a.m.
During an interview with Kephart and Canfield, state police learned Children, Youth & Family Services had an open case from the time the infant was born. Kephart said she’d tested positive for having methamphetamine and amphetamine in her system.
Patrick contacted CYFS and a caseworker responded to the state police barracks. She confirmed Kephart had drugs in her system when she gave birth, and that she’d also tested positive for the same drugs since then.
Both Kephart and Canfield were subsequently subjected to a drug screening. Kephart reportedly tested positive for meth, amphetamine, marijuana and ecstasy and Canfield was positive for meth, amphetamine, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol.
On July 28, Patrick met with CYFS and was given case notes from their investigation of Kephart and Canfield. At this time, she also conducted a drug screening, and they tested positive for meth and marijuana. Patrick interviewed both again.
Kephart allegedly admitted to having used methamphetamine and marijuana before and after she’d given birth to the infant. She also said that she and Canfield were the infant’s caregivers, and this was corroborated by Canfield.
On July 2, an autopsy was completed by Dr. Harry Kamerow, M.D., at Penn Highlands Huntingdon. He ruled the cause of death as overlay and the manner of death as accidental, according to the affidavit.
