An Indianapolis mother faces charges of murder and neglect after her 2-year-old daughter Skylar Gardner was found dead under a dresser. The apartment where the children were left alone was in such a deplorable state, it was deemed a "biohazard." According to court documents, medical examiners found multiple bite marks and signs of frostbite on the young girl's body, while her 3-year-old brother suffered from severe malnutrition and constipation, as reported by FOX 59.
Chantell Gardner, 33, has been arrested and charged with murder following the death of her daughter. Court documents state the mother admitted to sporadically leaving the children alone and checking on them every day or two, to provide fast food meals. In a statement obtained by People, Gardner reported she would stay nights at her boyfriend's house, and the children were found in an environment with feces on the walls and rotting food, further indicating neglect.
The living conditions were so dire that a space heater was the only source of warmth in the apartment, with temperatures inside recorded between 46 and 51 degrees Fahrenheit, as per FOX 59. Authorities, upon arriving at the scene, described the state of the home as unsuitable for living, with a pervasive smell, trash strewn about, and soaked items in urine.
Further investigations revealed that the young boy showed signs of food deprivation and is now receiving medical attention for emotional and cognitive issues, as detailed in court documents obtained by FOX 59. The nurse practitioner noted that had law enforcement not intervened due to the girl's death, the boy's condition could have become life-threatening. The mother's boyfriend, Brian Thomas, was also charged with two counts of assisting a criminal, for allegedly lying to investigators regarding the situation, according to a Local 12 report.
As reported by Local 12, during her interactions with law enforcement Gardner described her life as "overwhelming" with the children and sought to avoid the apartment due to the smell. She expressed that her absence had become normal to the children, as her son "stopped crying when she left." The jury trial for Gardner is tentatively scheduled for April.
