Toddler Dies of Malnutrition; Mom Charged

Sausha Myers, a 29-year-old mother from St. Louis, has been charged with two counts of child abuse or neglect after her 20-month-old daughter died under circumstances suggesting severe malnutrition. Officers discovered the toddler unresponsive and her 3-year-old sister emaciated within their home on St. Ferdinand street.

The younger child, who weighed only 10 pounds, was pronounced dead at St. Louis Children's Hospital. She exhibited signs of malnourishment, including bedsores and pressure marks. Her older sister, weighing 17 pounds three ounces, remains hospitalized and also showed signs of severe malnourishment, including lanugo, a sign of inadequate body fat.

Myers, the sole caregiver, admitted awareness of developmental delays in her children, who had not seen a pediatrician in over a year. Investigations revealed the younger child's diet was severely restricted, consuming fewer than 250 calories daily, primarily yogurt and pouches.