Man Charged With Murder, Rape, Kidnapping in Indiana Toddler's Death

Court documents accuse Parker, who was drinking alcohol with the uncle of the 1-year-old girl, of killing her after family members had fallen asleep in the home

An Indiana man drank whiskey with the uncle of a 1-year-old girl, then waited until the family fell asleep before abducting, raping and killing the toddler, prosecutors said Monday in court documents.

Kyle Parker is charged with murder, rape, kidnapping and other offenses in the death of Shaylyn Ammerman, whose body was found Thursday night following two days of intensive searching.

Parker, 22, of Spencer, directed investigators to the remote, wooded location where the young girl's body was located, a state police detective said in Owen County court documents.

Court records did not list a defense attorney for Parker ahead of his initial hearing Monday afternoon.

The girl's father and grandmother, Justin Ammerman and Tamera Morgan, were the last people known to have seen her late Tuesday. She had been staying at her father's home under a joint custody arrangement with the girl's mother; her grandmother and uncle also lived there.

Parker was drinking whiskey Tuesday night with Shaylyn's uncle at the Ammerman's home and abducted the toddler early on Wednesday after other family members had fallen asleep, according to court documents.

Parker denied involvement in Shaylyn's disappearance when first questioned on Wednesday, but directed police to the place where her body was found Thursday near the White River outside of Gosport, about 40 miles southwest of Indianapolis.

An autopsy found Shaylyn suffered severe sexual trauma while she was alive and died from asphyxiation. Investigators reported finding the girl's body next to a tree and a burn pile nearby believed to have contained her clothes and other evidence.

Several hundred people attended a prayer vigil for Shaylyn at a Spencer park Friday evening.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us