Man Charged With Killing Indiana Infant; 'Worst Case Of Sexual Trauma'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Relatives of a toddler who was raped and killed in central Indiana said they weren't prepared for the details of the gruesome crime that were revealed in court on Monday.
Kyle Parker, 22, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, rape, strangulation, child molesting, and more in the death of 15-month-old Shaylyn Ammerman.
Owen County prosecutors have said Parker abducted and killed Shaylyn from a home in Spencer – about 60 miles southwest of Indianapolis – on March 22. Her body was found two days later about 10 miles away in Gosport, and Parker was arrested the same day.
Dr. Donna Stewart, the pathologist who examined Shaylyn's body, said it was "the worst case of sexual trauma" she had seen in her career.
Prosecutors said Parker confessed in jail to his stepfather over the weekend, and Parker's father told police, according to CBS 4 in Indianapolis. Parker allegedly said he took Shaylyn out of her crib at the Ammerman home, where he and his family had been drinking, then pulled over and raped her on the way to Gosport, smothered her, and dumped her body in a wooded area, using bleach in an attempt to cover up evidence.
Shaylyn's grandmother, Tamera Morgan, said she can't fathom any of it.
"There's just so many emotions that you can't even put a finger on what emotion you're feeling. One minute it's you're disgusted, then you're angry," she said.
Shaylyn's father, Justin Ammerman, said he doesn't know how he'll ever heal after hearing what happened to his daughter.
"It's beyond words," he said. "I don't know how to do that."
Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty for Parker.