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A 29-year-old Evansville woman with a drug-abuse history who rolled over in bed atop her infant son, asphyxiating him to death, will remain behind bars following successful arguments by Attorney General Todd Rokita’s appeals team to uphold her conviction on neglect charges. 

At the time of the tragic incident on June 8, 2022, Taylor Smith was in violation of a court order forbidding her to be alone with the 12-day-old child. She also rejected the advice of child welfare officials that she refrain from co-sleeping with the child, especially when under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  

Smith is serving a 30-year prison sentence on the neglect and drug charges. 

The child’s father also pleaded guilty to neglect charges. 

Attorney General Rokita thanked Deputy Attorney General Tyler Banks for his work on this case. He also thanked Appeals Division Chief Counsel Angela Sanchez and Criminal Appeals Section Chief Andrew Kobe.