An Alabama daycare owner faces more than two dozen charges in connection with the 2022 death of a 4-month-old who was allegedly left unattended and lying on her stomach for several hours.
Angelene Chamblee has been charged with one count of manslaughter, 18 counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument, two counts of second-degree forgery, and six counts of operating a daycare without a license, according to local outlets WHNT, WAFF, and The Red Bay News, citing court records.
Chamblee, 49, was released from custody at the Franklin County Jail on Wednesday after posting bond. Her bond was set at $40,000, according to The Red Bay News.
The charges are tied to the 2022 death of 4-month-old Autumn Wells. Officials say the infant was left lying face down on a Boppy nursing pillow for more than two hours before she was pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to The Red Bay News and WHNT.
One daycare worker reportedly took the baby to the hospital in their own vehicle, but Wells was later pronounced dead, WAAY reported. Following the incident, the Alabama Department of Human Resources found multiple violations at the facility, which was ordered to close a week after the baby’s death.
Shortly after the tragedy, WAAY and WAFF reported that four other daycare employees were also charged, either in connection with the infant’s death or for allegedly helping to cover up what had happened.
In June, WHNT, WAFF, and AL.com reported that one of the former employees, Payton Gann, was found guilty of manslaughter and false reporting and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Hannah Grace Letson pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence, according to WHNT, AL.com, and The Red Bay News, citing the Franklin County District Attorney. Teia Kay Gann, Payton’s mother, pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness, according to WHNT, CBS 42, and AL.com.
Autumn Wells’ mother, Taylor Wells, has spoken about the devastating loss of her daughter.
“She was the whole center of my world,” Wells told WAAY in 2022. “You know, I get up and go to work. And before, everything I did was for her … and now, I don’t know what to do, and I don’t have a purpose anymore.”
When asked what message she wanted to share with other parents, she urged vigilance.
“If I could say anything to parents, it would be: Know your day care, know who works there, know what’s going on, and if you see something, say something,” she said. “If it’s your child, if it’s someone else’s child, don’t worry about being embarrassed. Don’t worry about being wrong.”
