Court proceedings continue against woman accused of shaking baby death

MACON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - Criminal court proceedings continue for the woman accused of shaking a baby to death.

On Wednesday, Taylor Burris' attorney appeared before a Macon County judge for a pre-trial hearing.

During the hearing Burris' bond was modified again allowing her to travel to South Carolina June 10 through June 17.

Burris, 24, is charged with Endangering the Life and Health of a Child, Aggravated Battery to a Child Resulting in Death and Involuntary Manslaughter. She has pleaded not guilty.

She was arrested June 14, 2022.

Police said that on May 17, 2022 shortly after 2 p.m., emergency medical services and deputies were dispatched to an in-home daycare located in the 100 block of Valerian Dr. in Forsyth for unresponsive child.

Police said Burris first told them the baby, was in a bouncy seat when she was hit in the head by a ball that another child threw. She said there was a red mark on the baby's temple, and she sent a photo of the injury to the newborn's mother.

She said she then put Maren down for a nap. After an hour and a half, she said Maren woke up and was given a bottle, but she vomited it back up.

After her death, a pathologist reported she had a contusion to the right temple and cheek, subdural hemorrhage and hemorrhage surrounding the optic nerves and cervical dorsal root ganglia. The pathologist said he saw the hemorrhages to the back neck area and behind the eyes. The results were sent off to a doctor at the University of Chicago Medicine for review.

She reported preliminary findings that the injuries were caused either by a violent car crash or shaken baby syndrome. She said, since there was no known car crash, she strongly suspected shaken baby syndrome.

Burris is due back in court in July.