Docs: Filthy conditions inside home where child died

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Police records show the deplorable conditions inside the Grand Rapids apartment where authorities say an 18-month-old girl died of child abuse.

The Grand Rapids Police Department said it was called on Aug. 22 for a woman who said her daughter had died at an apartment complex on Eastern Avenue SE south of Wealthy Street SE.

According to the police report, the girl, Skii Swope, appeared very malnourished, with sunken eyes and visible bones. She also had deep wounds that her mother attributed to diaper rash, the report says.

First responders also saw that Skii’s twin brother appeared lethargic, couldn’t hold his head up, and had bugs in his hair, the police report says. The boy was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

The mother, 24-year-old Brooklynne Rae Davis, told police that the twins were born premature and did not have any medical conditions, the report says.

An 8-year-old also lived in the home. The police report says he appeared well-nourished but very dirty. Police said the child was taken into Children’s Protective Services custody due to the conditions in the house. He told investigators he was being home-schooled by his mother and had not been to school since he was 4 years old, the report says.

According to the police report, the home was dirty, with sticky floors and dirty surfaces throughout. Police described the apartment as smelling like a mix of stagnant urine, feces, decaying food and smoke.

Police said the mother and children had body lice and bed bugs. The report said investigators found flies, gnats and cockroaches. The cockroaches were seen crawling around the kitchen, where the sink had stagnant water and dishes with old leftover food were spread out on the countertops.

In the living room, police said there was an air mattress and a portable crib filled with random items. According to the report, the floor in the children’s room was covered in what appeared to be feces that was caked into the rug. Court documents said the children slept on a single soiled mattress.

Davis kept her dog in the room next to the children’s room. Inside the room, police found dog feces and urine, old diapers and an empty dog food bag, according to the report. Police said the dog appeared emaciated with bones showing.

HOURS TO CALL 911

According to the police report, Davis told investigators she put the twins to bed around 8 p.m. the night before and did not check on them until around 10 a.m. Aug. 22. She said she left Skii in the bedroom to “sleep.” When she checked on her again around 3 p.m., Davis said Skii was unresponsive.

Davis said she could not call 911 immediately because she had lost her phone. When she did find her phone around 4 p.m., she said she first called her mother, according to the police report.

She called 911 around 5:20 p.m., according to the probable cause affidavit. When asked why she did not call 911 immediately, Davis said she had “panicked,” the report says.

In the 911 call, Davis said, “She is not breathing. I tried to do CPR and everything. It looks like Skii has been gone for a couple of hours.”

Skii was pronounced dead around 5:55 p.m.

MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES

According to the police records, Davis admitted to police that she had struggled with her mental health. She said that “she was doing well for about a year and a half after moving in, but things started to change, and she got sad.”

Davis spoke about the problems she had as a teen after she got pregnant at age 16 with her first child, now 8. Something happened when that child turned 2 — though the police report redacted what the situation was — and Davis isolated herself. The report went on to indicate that when Davis turned 20, she got her own apartment for the two of them.

When police asked about the conditions of her current apartment, Davis reiterated she has mental health problems. She told police children should not be living in that condition and she was embarrassed.

Davis also told police about “her problem with alcohol, stating that she normally start(ed) the day off with a shot at least.”

COURT HEARING HELD TUESDAY

Davis was scheduled to be in court Tuesday for a probable cause hearing but did not appear before the judge. However, her attorney said they are in talks with the prosecution to waive her preliminary examination.

She is charged with murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of Skii and the severe neglect of his twin brother.

According to court documents, Davis was the sole caretaker of the three kids: the 18-month-old twins and her 8-year-old son.

The Office of Child Advocate — the state’s Children’s Protective Services watchdog — told News 8 its preliminary investigation into Skii’s death was ongoing. That process can take up to 30 days. If it progresses to a full investigation, that could take a year. The OCA said the results of investigations are confidential.

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