St. Francois County couple charged in death of infant

By Kevin Jenkins | December 18, 2014 |

A rural Park Hills couple has been charged with child abuse resulting in the death of a 3-month-old girl.

Olivia Finley, 22, and Tyler Finley, 23, have been charged with the Class A felony of child abuse resulting in death. If convicted, they could be sentenced up to 30 years or life in prison. Bond is set at $200,000.

According to court records, a baby who has been identified as Lily Ann Baker, was taken to St. Louis Children’s Hospital after a 911 call from the Finley residence on Nov. 27 that the child had stopped breathing. The child died Dec. 7.

The foster child had been placed in their care through “relative placement” on Oct. 31. The Finleys told officials that Tyler Finley was holding the baby when the child stopped breathing.

Doctors found the baby to have numerous injuries and told authorities they suspected child maltreatment, physical abuse, including abusive head trauma on more than one occasion, constituting battered child syndrome.

The child suffered bilateral subdural hematomas, diffuse brain injury, ligamentous and posterior para-spinal muscle injury in the upper cervical spine, bilateral numerous retinal hemorrhages, as well as injuries in the state of healing that included rib fractures, and distal radius and tribal fractures.

The Finleys were interviewed by St. Francois County detectives separately on Nov. 28. They both said there was no plausible explanation for the injuries that the baby sustained in their care.