ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Two people have been indicted by an Anderson County Grand Jury for reckless homicide and aggravated child abuse in connection with the death of their infant.
The incident occurred in July 2024 in the Dutch Valley area. Parents Payton Nikole Bridges and James Gregory Cain Jr. are accused of recklessly causing the infant’s death around July 9, 2024, and face two counts of aggravated child abuse. According to the indictment, they knowingly abused, neglected, and endangered the child, harming the infant’s health and welfare through a “dangerous instrumentality or controlled substance.”
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said investigators have worked extensively to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable. Sheriff Russell Barker expressed condolences to the family, calling the case “an unthinkable tragedy.”
The indictments were filed Tuesday. Bridges and Cain were taken into custody and transported to the Anderson County Jail. They are scheduled for arraignment on December 8.
