Rachel McAfee, mother charged in death of her 3-month-old, makes court appearance
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Rachel McAfee, the mother who has been charged in the death of her three-month-old child, made her initial court appearance Friday morning.
Rachel McAfee, 36, has been charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
McAfee and her three-month-old daughter Emma were reported missing on the evening of March 4. John McAfee, husband of Rachel and father of Emma, told investigators that Rachel was supposed to drop Emma off at his parent’s house on the morning of March 4 and then she was to go to an “intervention concerning her excessive drinking” at 11 a.m.
The mother and daughter were found the next day, March 5, in the 2600 block of Stanford Court.
When investigators arrived at around 3 p.m., baby Emma was cold to the touch and appeared deceased to medics. She was declared dead at 3:17 p.m. The temperature was approximately nine degrees at the time.
Responding officers said they were trying to find Rachel’s shoes and found a bottle of rum. Investigators say the vehicle was out of gas and that the battery was dead.
On Friday, McAfee’s lawyer said had been in surgery for the past two days and was then set to start counseling at Grace House on Monday.
If convicted of fatal child neglect, she faces a prison sentence of 20 to 40 years and a fine of up to $10,000.