An Arkansas mother facing a charge of endangering the welfare of a minor had reportedly taken out a life insurance policy on her infant son shortly before his death, court records show.
The 5-month-old child’s mother, Karistin Icenhower, 20, of Camden, told authorities that she had found her son, David Boone Jr., not breathing around 9:20 a.m. May 25 at an apartment at 510 Carver Courts.
David normally slept until around 10 each morning, but on that day, she went to wake up her child early for a trip with family members, Icenhower told an officer with the Camden Police Department.
When Icenhower's stepmother, Kimberly Huff, later arrived and asked to see David, she walked into his room and found him lying face down underneath blankets in his bed, according to the affidavit filed in Ouachita County Circuit Court.
On David's bed, authorities said they found a pacifier with a liquid stain that appeared to be spit-up on a large teddy bear.
The boy's cause of death was ruled by the state Crime Laboratory on July 18 as acute purulent bronchitis and chronic laryngotracheitis.
The Crime Lab report noted that “the inflammation associated with these conditions was severe enough to be associated with sudden unexpected death although it can’t be completely [ruled] out other unknown factors could have been at play.”
Icenhower was arrested July 22 on police charges of manslaughter and permitting the abuse of a minor, records show. The prosecuting attorney later formally charged Icenhower with endangering the welfare of a minor.
Icenhower's live-in boyfriend, Ty Oakley, said his girlfriend had previously told him that "they were better off without the baby," Icenhower had recently taken out a $25,000 life insurance policy on David, he added.
Frequently, Icenhower would put a pacifier in David's mouth before wrapping a blanket tightly around his face, Oakley said.
After being questioned, police said that Oakley later called police, asking if he would still be able to receive life insurance money given Icenhower's arrest.
Nicole Smith, Icenhower's biological mother, told authorities that she had previously found David turning blue while blankets were wrapped around his face, adding that her daughter "showed no emotion" toward David.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly listed the charges against Karistin Icenhower. Icenhower faces a charge of endangering the welfare of a minor in the death of her infant son, David.
