14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Update: Coroner: Child died of "multiple blunt trauma"

Update: Coroner: Child died of "multiple blunt trauma"

Update, Thur 1:55 pm: According to the Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office, 3-year-old Kalab Lay died of multiple blunt trauma due to beating.

The coroner's office is calling Kalab's death a homicide.

Reporter: Shannon Samson
Web Producer: Mike Mardis

Update, Wed 8:00 pm: More fallout from a case called heart-breaking by veteran investigators.

A 3-year-old boy is dead and other brothers and sisters may have been abused as well. As authorities sort out what to do next, we hear from those close to the parents who are in disbelief.

Amanda Lay's brother Patrick and her best friend Ramonda can't believe she's behind bars for allegedly hurting her children.

"I would have never dreamed of this in a million years," Said Patrick, "Never. Amanda's always been a great mother, always."

They are aware, however, of past trouble for Amanda and Terry Lay.

Police in Eldorado, Illinois said they found meth-making materials in the Lays apartment there in 2004 and charged the couple with four counts of child endangerment.

Terry ended up being sentenced to 5 years in prison. Amanda went to prison too and the four children they had at the time were put into foster care.

When the couple got out of jail, they had two more children and were trying to get back the other four. They succeeded in bringing home the twins in January, but friends said the female twin, Kayla was difficult to handle after her time in foster care.

"She would cuss her mother every day," Ramonda said, "She would cuss her father every day. You know, little 3-year-olds don't do that."

As for punishment, Ramonda said, "Amanda didn't want to spank her and that's where (she made her) bend down in the corner. There was never, ever anything put in that baby's hands."

This is how she explains the allegation that Amanda put soap in Kayla eyes.

"She was taking a bath and had sparkle soap and she got it in her eyes," Ramonda said, "She even one day poured it into her baby sister Hannah's eyes and what do you do whenever something like that happens? you're hysterical. You're trying to pull all the soap out of the baby's eyes. When it happened to Kayla, they couldn't get it out because it had sparkles in it."

They said Amanda wasn't even home on Monday when Kalab stopped breathing, having left her kids at home with a relative.

They also said they just can't believe she had anything to do with his death.

"They didn't hurt that little boy," Ramonda said, "He was sick all weekend. We don't know what happened to him."

There will be an autopsy Thursday to determine if Kalab Lay died of shaken baby syndrome. And there are talks underway between investigators and prosecutors whether the parents should face murder charges.

Reporter: Drew Speier
New Media Producer: Amanda Lents

Update, Wed 6:30 am: A three-year-old boy is dead. And doctors say his brothers and sisters show signs of abuse and neglect.

The parents, 33-year-old Amanda Brooks Lay and 40-year-old Terry Lay, are charged with child neglect. Amanda is also charged with battery. Both are in the Vanderburgh county jail.

The Lay family lived in a trailer at the Eastbrook Mobile Home Park. Their son, three-year-old Kalab, was pronounced brain dead Tuesday afternoon from what authorities say were injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

There was more apparent abuse to four other children.

Sergeant Doug Daza with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office says, "Shock, ah disgust."

A reaction to what Vanderburgh County deputies saw at the Eastbrook Mobile Home Park.

Deputies were answering a call about an unresponsive three-year-old child who wasn't breathing.

Sgt. Daza says, "When I arrived at the trailer the medical personnel were still working on the child so I stayed out of the way until the child was transported."

That child, three-year-old Kalab Lay was taken to St. Mary's hospital, pronounced brain dead and put on life support.

Kalab's four other siblings, who also lived in the trailer, all appeared to have been abused, including Kaleb's twin sister.

Sgt. Daza says, "The emergency room doctor that examined one of the children described it as a savage beating."

Investigators say Kalab's twin was covered in bruises and had burn marks on her eyes.

The child told detectives she got them from her mother after her mother poured liquid soap in her eyes for wetting the bed.

Amanda Brooks is charged with that beating. She and her husband, Terry Lay, are both charged with neglect.

Back at Eastbrook, a friend of the father, Bruce Henry reacted to the situation, "He loves his children, every single one of them. He doesn't need to be treated that way or portrayed that way. I hope by talking he won't be."

Terry Lay's twin brother, Jay, says his brother was a good person who would never harm his kids, "I'm sure that he didn't even know that was going on. My brother wouldn't let that go on. He's a good person. Like I said he doesn't hit his kids, he's not that type of person."

Both Terry and his wife, Amanda have previous criminal records for cases involving neglect and drug offenses.

Meanwhile, three-year-old Kalab's grandmother tells 14 News that after donating his organs he was taken off life support. His parents could face additional charges in this case.

Update, Tues 7:00 pm: Local authorities are investigating what they call a heart breaking case of abuse and neglect.

One child has died and other children show signs of being harmed. The parents are behind bars Tuesday night and we're learning more about what went on inside a home in the Eastbrook Mobile Home Park.

Investigators said four of the five children living in the mobile home have signs of abuse and neglect, the worst were the 3 year old twins.

The twin boy Kalab Lay has been declared dead, but is still on life support for organ donation.

The parents Terry Lay and Amanda Brooks Lay are in the Vanderburgh County Jail, both charged with neglect. The mother is also charged with battery for injuries found on the twin girl.

Investigators said she was covered in bruises and had burn marks on her eyes. The child told detectives she got them from her mother after her mother poured liquid soap in her eyes for wetting the bed.

Family and friends of Terry Lay at the home Tuesday said he would have never hurt his kids and couldn't have known what was taking place.

Investigators said both parents have previously done prison time for neglect and drugs and said these children's had previously been removed from the home, but recently were returned to them.

Three other children are still in the custody of someone else from a previous case.

Investigators said the Lays were in the process of fighting for these kids when the death occurred.

Previously, Tues 2:45 pm: Vanderburgh County Corner Don Erk tells 14 News that the 3-year-old child died as a result of his injuries.

Previously: An Evansville couple is facing felony charges in an abuse case that had investigators in tears.

Here's what happened. On Monday Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to 2415 Long Point Drive.

Deputies noticed signs of child abuse and child neglect among the five children inside the home. Deputies found a baby boy, a 2-year-old girl, a 3-year-old boy, a 3-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy.

According to the report, the 3-year-old boy was found unresponsive and later hospitalized due to his injuries.

Deputies say all children expect for the 12-year-old had various signs of physical abuse.

The parents, Terry G Lay, 40, and Amanda Brooks, 33, have been criminally charged for the abuse and neglect of the 3-year-old girl.

Deputies say the 3-year-old boy appears to be the victim of shaken baby syndrome and is on life support with what is believed to be little hope of survival.

According to the report, one of the doctors who examined the 3-year-old child said that this child has been "savagely beaten."

The sheriff's office anticipates significant additional charges will be filed in the case. Williams says he doesn't think that anyone other than the parents will be criminally charged.

Williams says, "This is the saddest of situations and our hearts are broken for all of these children. During the initial investigation, there was not a dry eye among all of the investigators involved in this."

Williams adds, "The sheriff's office will work diligently and thoroughly to ensure that the case file presented to the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor results in a conviction and hopefully a sentence commensurate with the terror and pain that has been inflicted upon these children."

Lay and Brooks both face charges of neglect of a dependant, a Class B Felony. Brooks also faces charges of battery of a child under 14, a Class B Felony.

Lay is being held on $50,000 bond. Brooks is being held on $100,000 bond.