A 30-year-old Indiana caregiver was sentenced to prison after an unrelated toddler died from injuries suffered while in her care, court records show.
Kassandra Lynn Bracewell, 30, lived in an apartment on West Spring Street in Brownstown, Indiana.
On May 16, 2024, around 4:08 p.m., officers responded to the West Spring Street apartment for a 17-month-old boy who was not breathing, police said.
The child was transported to a hospital before being transferred to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana, records show.
The toddler remained hospitalized for several days before dying from his injuries on May 19, 2024, according to court documents.
The victim was not related to Bracewell, who was 28 at the time, court records state. The child had nonetheless been in her care, police said.
As the investigation continued, authorities learned that another child had allegedly witnessed the abuse, according to court records.
Bracewell’s 7-year-old son later told a therapist that he had seen the toddler being physically abused, records show.
The boy referred to the 17-month-old as his brother during the session, court records said. He appeared nervous and traumatized while discussing what he had witnessed, according to the documents.
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The child also told his therapist that Bracewell and his grandfather had instructed him not to speak to child welfare workers or law enforcement, records state.
Authorities have not publicly detailed the physical abuse the child witnessed or released the specific injuries that caused the toddler’s death, police said.
On May 25, 2024, officers arrested Bracewell on a preliminary charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, according to court records.
Prosecutors formally charged the caregiver on June 6, 2024, court documents show.
Following the arrest, officials removed Bracewell’s 7-year-old son from her care and placed him in foster care, records show. The boy required continued therapy because of trauma associated with witnessing the toddler’s abuse and death, court records state.
Bracewell later challenged decisions involving her son’s placement, according to court records. On October 28, 2025, an appeals court upheld the decision keeping the child out of her custody, records show.
On August 20, 2026, Bracewell pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony, court documents state.
On September 15, 2026, Judge Richard W. Poynter sentenced the 30-year-old defendant to 33 years, according to court records. Judge Poynter ordered Bracewell to serve 30 years in prison, with the remaining three years suspended, records show.
Under Indiana law, a Level 1 felony carries a sentencing range of 20 to 40 years, records show.
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