Mother Of 9 Gets Probation In Baby's Asphyxiation Death

EDWARDSVILLE, IL — A 36-year-old mother of nine was sentenced to four years' probation Monday after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of her 2-month-old son. Baby Matthew died Jan. 31 after suffocating in his car seat in the family's southern Illinois home, which was so filthy that police officers got sick when they went inside, WGN reported.

According to the Belleville News-Democrat, the infant slept in his car seat as parents Amy and Timothy Elkins shared a grimy mattress nearby with seven of their eight other children. Mother Amy reportedly put baby Matthew in the car seat so he wouldn't be crushed by another family member or hurt by the family cat.

But the car seat pitched forward sometime in the night, coming to rest against the mattress, the News-Democrat reported. The Madison County coroner ruled that Matthew died of positional asphyxia.

Madison County Sheriff’s deputies responding to a report of a baby not breathing at the family's New Douglas home found deplorable conditions, including broken windows and rooms filled with trash bags piled to the ceiling, the paper reported. Rotting food, dog feces and more trash littered the areas not filled with trash bags.

Sheriff John Lakin told WGN there was evidence of a long-dead animal in the family's yard, adding police had never seen living conditions so bad. According to property records, the home was built by Habitat For Humanity, and the family moved there in 2012.

Timothy and Amy Elkins were charged with involuntary manslaughter, in addition to one count of felony child endangerment and nine misdemeanor counts of child endangerment.

Timothy Elkins pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in September, receiving a six-year sentence.

Mom Amy Elkins also got a six-year sentence this week, but Associate Judge Neil Schroeder stayed the prison sentence pending successful completion of her four-year probation, the Alton Telegraph reported. Authorities said she was cooperating with the Family Court Division and Department of Children and Family Services to provide for her surviving eight children.

As part of her probation, Amy Elkins must follow DCFS rules, complete mental health treatment and domestic violence classes, engage in family counseling sessions with her children, and submit to periodic searches.

Timothy Elkins' projected parole date is Jan. 31, 2020 — three years to the day after baby Matthew's death. He is being housed at Menard Correctional Center.

Main photo: Amy Elkins/Madison County Sheriff's Office. Photo of Timothy Elkins via Illinois Department of Corrections