Milwaukee parents Kevin McCall and Christina Davis are facing felony child neglect charges after a young child was found dead inside their northwest side home in late February, according to court records. Emergency crews rushed to the house near 63rd Street and Carmen Avenue on Feb. 22, 2026, for a report of an unresponsive child. The child was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy has so far not pinpointed a cause of death, with the death investigation still open.
What the court complaint says
According to WISN 12 News, McCall and Davis are charged in Milwaukee County with two counts of chronic neglect of a child. The criminal complaint says Milwaukee police officers and firefighters were dispatched on Feb. 22 to the home near 63rd and Carmen for a report of a "pulseless nonbreathing child." The child, identified in court filings as "MLM," was declared dead there.
WISN reports that a 6-year-old sibling, identified in documents as "LW," told investigators she often helped care for the younger child, including making bottles and sometimes babysitting. The complaint also states that McCall admitted the adults had left the children alone "at least 25 times in the past six to seven months." Prosecutors say those details point to a pattern of ongoing neglect rather than a single bad night.
Neglect and child-fatality context in Wisconsin
Neglect is the most frequently confirmed form of child maltreatment in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. The agency’s most recent annual report notes that in 2024 the state recorded 19 child fatalities tied to substantiated maltreatment.
The same report shows that about 19,621 referrals were screened in by the child welfare system that year, a volume that experts say can strain local child-protection agencies and make it even harder to catch the most severe cases before they turn deadly.
Recent high-profile cases in Milwaukee
This case lands in a city already rattled by several disturbing child neglect incidents in recent months. Earlier this spring, six children were found locked inside a storage unit, a situation covered by Hoodline as six kids locked in a storage unit. That case sparked public outrage over just how often children are left in obviously dangerous conditions before anyone steps in.
What comes next
Per WISN 12 News, investigators described the home where MLM was found as "unkempt" with a "strong odor," and court filings say the younger child was discovered soiled, which authorities argue is consistent with a lack of basic care. The autopsy did not immediately determine how the child died, and prosecutors say the death investigation remains active as the Milwaukee County neglect case moves forward.
Officials have not issued further public statements about the case. This story will be updated as additional court documents and medical findings become available.
