Madilyne Wentz

Madilyne Christine Wentz 

May 17 2004 - April 14 2005

Age: 10 months old

Madilyne began daycare on the 9th April 2005 and the first three days at the day care, Madilyne seemed to be doing fine. Nothing was abnormal about the day care, and Madilyne was happy. On the fourth day Madilyne was at the day care, something was very wrong when Rachel went to pick her up.

Madilyne was unconscious. She was taken to get medical help. It was found that both sides of her brain had suffered massive strokes. At the hospital, her injuries were so serious that had actually gone into a coma. She had severe head trauma, bilateral retinal hemorrhaging, and bruises on her body. Medical professionals knew that Madilyne had been abused and they knew she would not be able to survive.  In the morning of April 14 2005, Madilyne was pronounced brain dead.

Medical examiners concluded that her death was a homicide caused by Shaken Baby Syndrome. Her day care provider, Melinda Bautista, was arrested. In August of 2005, Melinda made a two-hour long confession. She said that Madilyne had been irritable that day and that nothing she was doing was soothing her.

She confessed to shaking Madilyne, saying that she shook her "until she was blue in the face, gasped, and went quiet." Melinda was charged with Madilyne's death, however, the jury in the trial decided, in less than one hour, that she was not guilty, despite the fact that she confessed to becoming frustrated with Madilyne and shaking her, which gave her the injuries that ultimately ended her life.