Mother who sometimes ‘would forget’ to feed her infant son who starved to death gets 65 years in prison

An Indiana mother will spend decades in prison for the murder of her 2-month-old son, who died of starvation.

Caylin Opal Marie Monroe, 23, was sentenced to 65 years in prison on Friday in the death of Silas Scott, online court records show. The father, Jakob Chance Scott, was also charged in the case. He is set to appear in court on Dec. 2.

The Warrick County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation began in February 2022 after authorities responded to 3844 Honeysuckle Drive in Warrick County about an unresponsive infant. At the home, medical units tried to revive the baby but declared the infant dead at the scene.

Authorities spent months investigating. On April 21, 2022, after authorities gathered evidence and learned that the baby had died of starvation, police questioned the couple.

An affidavit outlines statements investigators said the couple told them during interviews with authorities.

Monroe told police that the baby was born small but healthy and had difficulty growing. She said she thought there was something wrong with the baby, but she never had time to call and get a new pediatrician, the document said.

When the investigator confronted Monroe with information that her baby had been starved, she initially said she fed him. But when the investigator said there was nothing in the baby’s stomach at the autopsy and inquired if it was it normal to miss feedings, “she nodded in agreement and stated, ‘sometimes yeah,’” the affidavit said.

“Caylin stated sometimes she would be busy and not have time to feed Victim 1,” the document said. “Caylin stated that Victim 1 would miss a feeding every once in a while. Caylin agreed that there would be times where she would forget Victim 1 because he wasn’t making any noise or asleep and she was busy with the other children. Caylin stated she was on a basic routine, and sometimes she would forget to feed Victim 1.”

Scott allegedly told investigators, “I’d feed him if he was crying,” the affidavit said.

The boy’s obituary identified him as “Silas’ Shuggie Bear’ Chance-Kent Scott, of Boonville, Indiana,” son of “Jakob and Caylin (Monroe) Scott.” The obituary said he “passed away” at home. The infant has three siblings, the obituary also said.

Matt Naham contributed to this report.

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