Benton County, Iowa — Two people from Vinton have been charged in connection with the death of a 20-month-old girl who authorities say was severely neglected and underfed for months.
Kaylee Morris, 23, and her boyfriend, Mason Morgan, 24, each face charges of neglect or abandonment of a dependent person. Morgan also faces additional counts of child endangerment and depriving necessary care resulting in death.
According to a criminal complaint, investigators found that the couple had “recklessly underfed” the child for about seven months, failing to recognize that she was deteriorating from starvation.
While the official cause of death is listed as undetermined, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy concluded that dehydration and bleeding around the brain contributed to her death on September 22, 2024.
Court records indicate that in the three days before the child’s death, Morgan was her primary caregiver while Morris was out of town. Messages between the two show Morgan attempted to feed the girl ramen noodles, but she ate little to no food.
Morris reportedly found the child unresponsive around 11 a.m. on Sept. 22 and called 911. The toddler was transported to Virginia Gay Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
At the time of her death, the child weighed 21 pounds, below the CDC’s 5th percentile for her age. Her medical history revealed her weight had stalled and declined over the previous seven months, and doctors found no medical conditions to explain the malnourishment.
In interviews with authorities, Morris admitted she had not properly cared for the child and was often absent, leaving her in Morgan’s care. The child’s hair tested positive for methamphetamine, though Morgan blamed upstairs neighbors for the exposure.
Investigators also learned that Morris and Morgan had been receiving significant outside support from family services to help raise the child. Morgan was also receiving Social Security Disability payments for a traumatic brain injury.
A family support worker had expressed concern prior to the child’s death about the couple’s mental health, living conditions, and inconsistent caregiving, court documents show.
Both suspects remain under investigation as the case proceeds through Benton County Court.
