DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) –Sworn statements released Monday revealed more about what police say led to a 2-year-old's death in Decatur.
Police say the young girl who died, Ta'Naja Barnes, was dirty, unresponsive, too cold to measure and wrapped in a blanket that smelled like urine when investigators arrived on the morning of Feb. 11 at a house in the 1800 block of E. North St. An investigation led to the arrests of her mother, 21-year-old Twanka Davis, and Anthony Myers, 25, who is Davis’ boyfriend. Myers is not Barnes’ biological father.
New sworn statements say Myers is the one who first called 911 after Davis discovered Barnes unresponsive. Police say he identified himself to authorities as one of Barnes’ “parents” and called her his “daughter” on the call. Authorities interviewed Myers about Barnes’ death on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13.
Myers told police he last saw Barnes several days before her death on Feb. 9, according to sworn statements. Officers say Davis and Myers would keep Barnes in her room as punishment if she doesn’t nap or misbehaves. They say Barnes couldn’t get out of her room unless she was let out.
Myers also told police he caused a bottom window pane to break in October of 2018 in the home’s southeast bedroom and never fixed it, creating a situation that caused the house to take a long time to heat. Davis told officers the furnace in the house worked properly, but that she had turned it off the night before Barnes was found dead. Police say Davis took a heater in Barnes’ room out because her own heater had stopped working.
Neighbors told police lights at the house were usually off. Police say Myers told them some of the lights weren’t used “to keep costs down”.
Myers told officers he “takes care of the bills” and “makes sure the kids are fed and taken care of”. He told investigators he made red beans, rice and pork steaks for the family on the night of Feb. 10, which Davis took to Barnes. Davis told officers that Barnes wouldn’t eat the food.
An autopsy on Barnes showed the child had problems with physical neglect, malnourishment, dehydration and cold exposure. Her weight was 21 pounds.
The Department of Children and Family Services has a second minor, who is Myers’ biological child, in its custody after removing them from the house. Davis and Myers both face murder and endangering the life and health of a child charges. Myers faces a second misdemeanor child endangerment charge in connection to his biological child.
Davis and Myers are both scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
