Inset: Jamiyah Mayfield (GoFundMe). Background: The area in Indiana where Jamiyah lived with her father and stepmother (Google Maps).
A father and stepmother in Indiana are accused of fatally abusing their 14-year-old daughter, allegedly confining her to her locked bedroom with a camera trained on her, restricting her access to the bathroom and withholding food and water.
Authorities have issued arrest warrants for Jerry Lavette Mayfield and Toris Michelle Mayfield, each of whom is facing three counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, all felonies, in connection with the death of Jamiyah Mayfield, court records show.
The investigation into the couple began when Toris Mayfield called 911 on July 2, 2025, to report a medical emergency involving Jamiyah, Indianapolis NBC affiliate WTHR reported, citing court records. Toris Mayfield said she yelled at the unresponsive child and dragged her into the bathroom to perform CPR before calling 911.
Emergency medical personnel transported Jamiyah to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Authorities said the teen endured months of abuse and neglect before her death.
Jerry Mayfield gained full custody of Jamiyah in August 2024, and Toris Mayfield became her adoptive mother that November, WTHR reported.
On Feb. 12, 2025, Jamiyah was withdrawn from the Monroe County Public School System and switched to homeschooling. A week later, the Indiana Department of Child Services received a report alleging that the then-13-year-old “was confined to the house at all times” and that “school is her social life,” according to Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN.
The report prompted no further action because Jamiyah no longer attended school, the station reported.
By May, Jamiyah’s health had noticeably deteriorated. She was treated at IU Health for leg swelling, and her medical records reportedly noted that she was suffering “weight loss and marks on her skin.”
While Jamiyah weighed 124 pounds in January, when she was still in school, she weighed only 80 pounds when she died.
“After [Jamiyah] was removed from school, where she had regular access to food and school staff contact, to the time she died, she experienced a medically unacceptable drop in weight and a lack of adequate healthcare, which contributed to her death,” court documents reportedly state.
The Mayfields allegedly blamed Jamiyah for the weight loss, claiming that she had been refusing to eat and spitting out her food.
Investigators said the parents became increasingly restrictive of Jamiyah at home after pulling her from school. Her bedroom door had reportedly been modified to lock from the outside, while a screw had been placed in the frame of the room’s only window to prevent it from opening.
Police also found multiple security cameras inside the home, including one in Jamiyah’s bedroom, that were reviewed as part of the investigation.
“[Jamiyah] was confined to her room, routinely remotely monitored on video camera, had to ask permission to use the bathroom, was restricted from accessing food, and denied medical treatment by her parents,” authorities wrote.
Video footage reportedly showed Jamiyah’s physical decline. Earlier recordings showed a bedroom containing furniture, clothing and bedding, but most of those items were removed when Jamiyah began homeschooling, the station reported.
Investigators also found text messages between the parents discussing what food Jamiyah was “allowed to have.”
An autopsy completed Oct. 30, 2025, initially listed the cause of death as “polymedication-induced arrhythmia from six medications.” But investigators’ evidence prompted a review of those results, and on July 6, 2026, the manner of death was changed to undetermined. The amended autopsy reportedly determined that Jamiyah’s cause of death was “complications of severe protein-calorie malnutrition and dehydration.”
A child-abuse pediatrician who reviewed the case reportedly told investigators Jamiyah’s death was “diagnostic of child torture.”
The Mayfields had not been arrested as of Wednesday morning, records show. The Bloomington Police Department did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Law&Crime seeking additional information in the case.
Jamiyah’s biological grandmother, Jevona Starks, started a GoFundMe to give her granddaughter “the dignified burial she deserves.”
“Jamiyah Mayfield was a bright, loving 14-year-old girl whose beautiful smile and joyful spirit touched everyone around her. She loved to sing and dance, bringing light and happiness to her family and friends,” the page states. “Tragically, Jamiyah’s life was cut short due to unimaginable abuse and neglect. She suffered in silence, locked away and mistreated by those who should have protected her.”
