TRUE CRIME - Mom Tortures & Neglects Baby for Being "Ugly"

On November 23, 2022, at approximately 12:16 p.m., Detective Captain James Sloan of the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department responded to a complaint at IU Health Hospital in Bedford, Indiana. Upon his arrival, he was met by Department of Child Services (DCS) caseworker Emily Werner, who shared a shocking but all too common story. At 11:01 a.m. that same day, a 20-month-old girl named Elliaunna Marji Plummer, also known as Ellie, had been diagnosed with a brain bleed, a broken collarbone, and facial bruising. Her condition was so severe that she needed to be transported by helicopter to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis for specialized care.

Signs of Neglect Ignored

Ellie's injuries were horrifying. Her head was swollen, deformed, and bruised on her forehead, both sides of her face, and under her eyes. Tragically, there had been warning signs leading up to this moment. Just six days earlier, on November 17, 2022, at 1:26 p.m., DCS received an anonymous tip reporting the smell of weed and a strong chemical drug-like odor coming from the apartment where Ellie lived with her mother, Cheyenne Hill. The caller expressed concern that Cheyenne might have been smoking crystal meth around Ellie and mentioned light bruises on the little girl's face, which Cheyenne explained away by saying Ellie had fallen out of bed.

The Day of the Incident

On November 23, 2022, at 10:58 a.m., another anonymous tip was received, likely from someone at the hospital. The timing and information provided suggested it came from a medical professional who had seen Ellie's injuries. Friends, coworkers, neighbors, and even Cheyenne herself provided statements, creating a confusing but telling narrative. According to reports, Ellie's injuries appeared non-accidental and inconsistent with Cheyenne's explanations.

Cheyenne claimed that Ellie had woken up at around 3:40 a.m., whining, and she noticed swelling on her daughter's forehead. Despite this, she did not think it was serious enough to call for an ambulance. Instead, she went to work, leaving Ellie in the care of someone she had been staying with. The caller who made the tip to DCS reported that Ellie had what appeared to be three fingerprint marks on one side of her face and one on the other, consistent with someone grabbing and squeezing her face. Ellie was lethargic, half-dead, and could barely hold her head up.

A Pattern of Excuses

Cheyenne's behavior on the morning of November 23rd was bizarre and negligent. She claimed that Ellie went back to sleep and woke up at around 8:00 a.m. Despite noticing her daughter's pale skin, shallow breathing, and tense hands and feet, she did not seek medical attention. Instead, she chatted with her boyfriend, Cameron Fleming, for about 40 minutes before checking on Ellie again. At this point, she poured water into Ellie's mouth, flicked water on her face, and tried to wake her up until 9:30 a.m., when she ultimately left for work.

Cheyenne's actions were not only negligent but criminally indifferent. She admitted to smoking weed to calm down before leaving for work, despite Ellie's dire condition. Cameron, her boyfriend, described Ellie's forehead as being so swollen that she looked like a "Klingon from Star Trek." He claimed Ellie had this injury for about 18 to 10 days, aligning with the original DCS call placed on November 17th, except the anonymous caller had mentioned only light bruising.

Disturbing Behavior and Admissions

Cheyenne's disturbing behavior extended beyond that fateful morning. On October 7th, she sent a text to Cameron complaining about Ellie's crying and expressing violent thoughts towards her. On October 13th, she texted about wanting to throw Ellie. When she arrived at work on November 23rd, she asked her coworkers if they had ever had a problem with their baby not wanting to wake up, sharing the same story with another coworker before nonchalantly continuing with her work.

Cheyenne had a pattern of telling inconsistent stories about Ellie's injuries. On November 11th, she told a coworker that Ellie was sick and might need to go to the hospital, mentioning a brain tumor. On November 18th, she claimed Ellie had broken her collarbone, blaming an unnamed man she lived with who supposedly didn't like Ellie. On November 21st, she told another coworker that Ellie used to be beautiful but was now "ugly."

A Systemic Failure

Several people observed Ellie's injuries and odd behavior from Cheyenne but failed to take decisive action. Babysitter Michelle Barrow noticed a "goose egg" on Ellie's forehead on November 15th and 16th. Cheyenne explained it away as a result of Ellie falling from her bed. Despite Michelle urging her to take Ellie to the emergency room, Cheyenne claimed she had contacted Ellie's pediatrician and was told the swelling would go down. By November 22nd, the swelling had worsened.

Michelle's fiancé, Kevin Cliff, also observed severe bruising on Ellie's forehead, causing swelling in her eyes and lips. When he and Michelle told Cheyenne to take Ellie to the hospital, Cheyenne insisted she would make the decisions and forbade them from calling an ambulance. Another neighbor, Jeremiah Zolan, noticed Ellie had two black eyes and her hair was falling out on November 15th but didn't report it to the authorities.

The Final Moments and Legal Proceedings

After Ellie was transferred to Riley Children's Hospital, IU Child Protection Program nurse practitioner Andrea Powers stated that no accidental history provided could account for Ellie's traumatic injuries. This was clear abuse and medical neglect. On November 26, 2022, Elliaunna Marji Plummer was pronounced dead at 4:35 p.m. She was malnourished, approximately 10 pounds underweight, and had multiple severe injuries.

Despite everything known about the case, Cheyenne was not immediately charged with homicide. Instead, on May 31, 2023, Detective Captain Sloan submitted an affidavit for probable cause for her arrest on charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a level one felony in Indiana. Months later, on September 16, 2023, Cheyenne was arrested in Forsyth Township, Michigan, after being caught on video surveillance stealing firewood from a campground.

A Call to Action

Ellie's tragic story highlights the critical importance of vigilance and intervention. If just one person had acted decisively when they saw the warning signs, Ellie might still be alive today. It is crucial to speak up and report suspected abuse or neglect to protect vulnerable children. This heartbreaking case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of inaction and the urgent need for systemic change to safeguard the most vulnerable among us.