JACKSONVILLE, FL – In a heart-wrenching incident in Indiana, a mother is grappling with the tragic loss of her three-year-old daughter, Kenna Harper Wilson, who was found deceased in a septic tank in October. The child’s aunt, Jill Marie Humphries, is now calling for legal action against her 16-year-old niece, who was responsible for babysitting Kenna at the time of the incident.
Humphries, in an emotional interview with WXIX, a media affiliate in Cincinnati, Ohio, expressed her profound grief and the irreplaceable loss she has suffered. She recounted the events of that fateful day, October 16, when she left Kenna at her niece’s home before heading to work. Later that day, she received a distressing call from her sister, informing her that Kenna was unresponsive and CPR was being administered.
Rushing to Norton King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison, Indiana, Humphries was met with the devastating news that her daughter had passed away. The coroner’s report indicated that Kenna had no heat in her body upon arrival at the hospital. Humphries described the harrowing moment she saw her daughter, noting the sewage in Kenna’s hair and eyes. She spent over six hours holding her daughter before the coroner took over.
The investigation into the incident revealed that Kenna had somehow accessed the septic tank while under the care of her babysitter. Indiana State Police responded to the scene and suggested that the toddler might have moved the tank lid herself. However, whether she was sewn into the tank or fell in remains unclear.
Ripley County Prosecutor Ric Hertel commented on the case, acknowledging the tragedy but not attributing it to criminal wrongdoing. He expressed sympathy for the family’s loss but indicated that the incident appeared to be a terrible accident.
Disagreeing with this assessment, Humphries is adamant that her niece should face charges, citing negligence as the cause of her daughter’s death. She believes that her child’s death was a direct result of being neglected by the babysitter, leading to the fatal incident in the septic tank.
Adding to the family’s anguish, Humphries’ sister, the mother of the babysitter, passed away just two days after Kenna’s death. In the wake of these tragedies, a GoFundMe campaign was set up by Alicia Benham, a lifelong friend of Humphries, to support her during this challenging time.