Inset left: Kaylee Morris (Humboldt County Jail). Inset right: Mason Morgan (Buchanan County Jail). Background: Benton County Sheriff’s Office (Google Maps).
A 23-year-old mother in Iowa and her 24-year-old boyfriend have been arrested for allegedly killing the woman’s 20-month-old daughter, who died from dehydration and a brain bleed after being left unattended for more than 14 hours.
Kaylee Morris and Mason Morgan were taken into custody earlier this week and charged with one count each of neglect or abandonment of a dependent in connection with the death of young Willow Ann Morris, authorities announced.
Morgan, who is not the victim’s father, is also facing an additional charge of child endangerment by deprivation of necessary care resulting in death.
According to a news release from the Vinton Police Department, the investigation into Willow’s death began on Sept. 22, following “a report of a 20-month-old child who was discovered unresponsive” in her crib at the family’s apartment.
“The child was transported to the Virginia Gay Hospital where she was declared deceased,” police wrote in the release.
Police officials, working in cooperation with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Benton County Attorney’s Office, said they developed evidence necessary to arrest Morris and Morgan in connection with the girl’s death.
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While police refused to release any details about the case “due to the sensitive nature of the case and the involvement of a child,” court documents obtained by Cedar Rapids ABC and CW affiliate KCRG provided some additional details that shed some light on what allegedly led to the arrests.
According to the report, investigators soon learned that in the seven months preceding her death, Willow’s weight had “stagnated and begun to decline,” moving from the 89th percentile to below the fifth percentile.
Authorities said that in the days leading up to her death, from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21, Morris had gone out of town, leaving Morgan as the sole adult responsible for Willow. Text messages exchanged between the couple during that time showed that Morgan was growing increasingly frustrated in dealing with Willow when she became fussy, particularly when it came to eating.
Morgan would reportedly try to get the victim to eat ramen noodles and when she refused, he allegedly just put her back in her crib instead of attempting to try other foods. During the time that Morris was away, Willow allegedly ate no food or, at best, a minuscule amount.
Morris returned home on the night of Sept. 21, and, despite allegedly conceding she knew that her daughter was sick, she said she did not bother to check on her. Instead, she and Morgan allegedly decided to use THC wax and go to sleep. It wasn’t until about 11 a.m. the following morning that Morris looked in on her daughter — the first time either adult had reportedly done so in 14 hours. She apparently found Willow unresponsive and called 911.
Investigators described the state of the victim’s body as being stiff with blue lips and foaming at the mouth. It is believed she had been dead for up to six hours before her body was found.
Authorities searched the home, saying it was in a deplorable state, reeking of cat urine with trash, food, and animal feces all over, Waterloo NBC affiliate KWWL reported. In a subsequent interview with police, Morris and Morgan both allegedly admitted to using the THC wax and neglecting Willow.
“I understand what I did was wrong, and I understand that I need a punishment,” Morris reportedly told investigators.
An autopsy determined that dehydration and a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is a type of stroke, were Willow’s causes of death. The child reportedly also tested positive for methamphetamine, nicotine, diphenhydramine, and beta-phenethylamine, a chemical stimulant.
