Starving toddler had been consuming partitions and nappies earlier than he was discovered useless, police say
Tragic tot Erik Reichard died from suspected child neglect and starvation and is thought to have eaten nappies and drywall in a desperate bid to survive
Erik was just half the normal weight for his age and size(Image: Facebook/Matt Thibodeau)
A starving toddler was so hungry he had been eating dry wall, paint chips and nappies before being found dead at his home, police said. Erik Reichard’s body was covered in sores and bug bites and he weighed just 15lbs, around half the normal weight for his age.
The tragic tot, 2, was found by cops at his family home in Tell City, Indiana, after they had been called by his parents who said they hadn’t seen him alive for around 14 hours before they raised the alarm that he was unresponsive.
Little Erik was pronounced dead at the scene despite the best efforts of cops who performed CPR on the living room floor on April 3.
His parents Trevor Reichard-Hayes, 39, and Katherine Carter, 31, were arrested and have since been charged with murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and neglect of a dependent.
Two other kids were removed from the house, police said. A spokesman said: “Scenes such as these are extremely difficult for the officers, first responders, and partner agencies involved.
“We respectfully ask for and appreciate your prayers and support for the investigators as well as the victim’s family during this difficult time. This investigation remains ongoing.”
Police said Erik appeared to be extremely skinny, malnourished and had over 40 sores or bug bites on his skin. Carter told the arresting officers the boy had been “eating his diapers”. They suspected this was due to hunger, it was reported.
After being granted a search warrant, cops who entered the property were faced with faeces on the floor, nappies scattered about and human waste that had built up for days or even weeks, local media reported.
In one of the children’s rooms, there was a small bed, pieces of diaper and drywall debris all over the floor. There was also a training toilet that was “full of faeces in urine” that appeared not to have been cleaned in days or perhaps weeks.
During an autopsy, officials removed material from the child’s system that was consistent with the drywall, paint chips or spackling from the home, along with nappy material.
Carter fashioned herself a ‘digital content creator’ on Facebook, but Reichard-Hayes’ LinkedIn revealed a background spanning years in the United States Army.
His listed occupations included infantryman, pathfinder, team machine gunner in Afghanistan, company armorer and field material tester. They were due to appear in court on Tuesday.
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