Inset left to right: Brent Bredhold (Vanderburgh County Sheriff”s Office) and Alice Bredhold (Obituary). Background: The residence where Alice died from diabetes complications (Google Maps).
An Indiana man is facing substantial prison time after being found legally culpable for his 12-year-old daughter’s death.
This week, Brent Bredhold, 39, was convicted by a jury of his peers in Vanderburgh County on one count of neglect of a dependent causing death. He now faces a maximum sentence of 40 years behind bars.
The conviction stems from the death of the defendant’s daughter, Alice Bredhold, 12, who passed away well before her time due to wholly preventable complications from poorly-managed diabetes.
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“This is a heartbreaking case where a 12-year-old girl with Type 1 diabetes was left to fend for herself until her untimely death,” Vanderburgh County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Winston Lin said in a statement provided to Indianapolis-based The CW affiliate WISH. “Her parents should have been her strongest advocates to keep her healthy and alive, but unfortunately all they had to offer was apathy, indifference, and neglect.”
On July 4, 2024, Alice was found dead on her bedroom floor at the family’s residence on South New York Avenue in Evansville, according to affidavits obtained by Evansville-based NBC affiliate WFIE.
An ensuing investigation determined the girl had diabetes, but that her parents were not helping her manage the lifelong disease. Before Alice died, the Hoosier State’s Department of Child Services contacted Alice’s parents because her blood sugar levels frequently tested in an exceedingly high range while she was at school.
During opening arguments, the prosecution cited the victim’s documented history of sugar spikes in her blood, according to a courtroom report by Evansville-based ABC affiliate WEHT.
The state cited a school nurse who reported 44 readings in excess of 300 and 14 readings above 600 in the weeks leading up to her death.
For people with diabetes, blood sugar levels less than 180 two hours after starting a meal are considered typical targets, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The state successfully argued the onus for dealing with such a health condition is on the parents – at least for a 12-year-old.
“Kids don’t understand the value of daily routines,” Prosecutor Winston Lin told the jury. “With Type 1 diabetes, it is critical.”
Lin went on to say the girl’s death was only a matter of time under such circumstances. He also reportedly cited others who said her too soon death was “a shocking event but not surprising.”
The end result of long-term neglect in the specific instance was all but foreseen, prosecutors proved during trial. Alice had been hospitalized numerous times since she was 10 years old, prosecutors said.
In one serious post-hospitalization series of events, the Bredhold family obtained the services of a pediatric psychologist. But even then, Lin said, Brent Bredhold “did not follow through with the psychologist’s professional guidance.”
The father’s defense attorney, Dawnya Taylor, attempted to paint a different picture of her client by taking issue with how the state presented him to the jury. The man’s lawyer said the prosecution might have led jurors to believe he was a single parent – which he is not. Instead, she argued, the defendant was often not at home and able to deal with daily tasks because of his job working on the railroad – which often caused him to travel for more than two days at a time.
That strategy, however unsuccessful, hints to the fact that Alice’s mother –  Ashley Marie Bredhold, 39 – is also accused of the exact same crime. The mother’s trial is slated to begin in February 2026.
During the father’s trial, jurors also heard from numerous witnesses.
Several members of law enforcement testified. Some recalled conversations with family members. Others recalled photographing the scene and finding various implements common to those with diabetes. Such items included test strips, injection pens, medicine bottles, alcohol prep pads, pen needle caps, a meter and transmitters, and pods of insulin for an insulin pump, according to WEHT.
One detective testified Brent Bredhold was not part of those initial goings-on at all. Instead, the detective recalled only seeing or speaking with Alice’s brother, sister, mother, and maternal grandparents on the day the girl was found deceased from diabetic ketoacidosis.
Alice attended Evans Elementary School where she played cello in the school’s orchestra, a tribute remembers. An avid reader, Alice was in a local book club. She was also a member of a youth team dedicated to the scientific exploration of rocks, fossils, and minerals.
“Alice was naturally artistic and creative, and enjoyed doing crafts and drawing,” her obituary reads. “She loved being with her family and spending time with friends. Alice will be remembered for her outgoing, energetic, and friendly spirit. She will be deeply missed.”
Brent Bredhold is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23.
