OPELOUSAS, LA – Two Louisiana parents face first-degree murder charges after their 2-month-old daughter died from severe abuse and neglect that left her with a severed lower spine, authorities announced this week.
Kaylee Fontenot and Taylor Broussard, both 18, were arrested following the death of their infant daughter on October 25. Officers responded to the couple’s Opelousas home just after 8 p.m. and found the child not breathing.
Despite life-saving measures performed by officers and paramedics, the infant was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital.
An autopsy revealed the baby had suffered prolonged abuse and extreme neglect, according to the Opelousas Police Department. The medical examination documented multiple injuries including extreme dehydration, severe malnourishment, broken ribs, and a severed lower spine that caused internal bleeding.
“Our hearts are with this infant who suffered unimaginable abuse,” Opelousas Police Chief Graig LeBlanc said in a statement. “This case is in its early stages, and our investigators are working tirelessly.”
Both parents have been charged with first-degree murder, cruelty to juveniles, and second-degree battery. Fontenot was arrested on Friday and has since been released from custody. Broussard was taken into custody on Monday and remains incarcerated.
The investigation is ongoing, with detectives continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the infant’s death. Authorities have not released additional details about the timeline of the alleged abuse.
First-degree murder charges in Louisiana can carry penalties up to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Additional charges of cruelty to juveniles could result in sentences of up to 40 years with hard labor.
The case has sent shockwaves through the Opelousas community, where residents expressed horror at the details of the infant’s suffering.
