Police say the newborn’s condition worsened for hours before a 911 call, while his father separately faces an abuse charge.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A Springfield mother is accused of waiting more than four hours to summon emergency help after her 5-week-old son became unusually lethargic, stopped eating normally, had difficulty moving an arm and later went limp, according to court records in a case that also led to a separate child-abuse charge against the baby’s father.
Starr Mariah Vesey, 19, is charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Investigators allege that she recognized several signs that her son was in serious distress on July 28 but did not call 911 until about 2:55 p.m. The infant was later found to have severe brain bleeding and swelling, retinal hemorrhages, multiple rib fractures and other injuries described by medical personnel as consistent with inflicted trauma. Vesey is not accused in the reports reviewed of directly causing those injuries. Her charge centers on the alleged delay in obtaining care.
The timeline described by Vesey begins around midnight, when she said she placed her son in his crib. According to investigators, she told them she did not check on him again until about 10 a.m. She then noticed that the baby had not awakened for feedings in his usual manner. She described him as very sleepy, grunting, unwilling to eat and unable to move his right arm normally. She also saw a bruise on his forehead. Police said Vesey acknowledged that the combination of symptoms was unlike anything she had previously seen in the child.
Instead of immediately calling 911, Vesey initially waited, court records say. By roughly 12:30 to 1 p.m., investigators said she attempted to feed the infant and saw a further change: he became limp and stared into space. She told officers that she contacted the baby’s pediatrician around noon and was waiting for someone to call her back. Police later examined her phone and alleged that the call to the pediatrician happened several hours later than she had stated. That discrepancy became part of the probable-cause case supporting the child-endangerment charge.
Vesey eventually summoned emergency assistance shortly before 3 p.m. Investigators calculated that more than four hours had passed from the time she first noticed the baby’s abnormal condition. Court records say she told police that she had hoped the child would improve after sleeping. She also cited fear and transportation concerns in explaining why she did not seek help sooner. Those explanations are part of the investigative record, but prosecutors allege that the visible bruise, loss of normal movement, lethargy, feeding problems and later limpness showed a substantial risk to the infant’s health.
When emergency personnel reached the family’s home in the 1400 block of East 24th Street, the situation had become critical. The infant was described as cold and unresponsive. Emergency workers and police observed signs they believed were consistent with abusive head trauma. The child was taken to Cox South Hospital in Springfield and then transferred by air to St. Louis Children’s Hospital because of the severity of his condition. Medical staff determined that emergency neurosurgical treatment was necessary. The court records described the injuries as life-threatening.
The investigation into how those injuries occurred focused on the baby’s father, Kenai Logun Kelley, also 19. Authorities charged Kelley with abuse or neglect of a child. Police said he initially denied harming his son but later acknowledged handling him roughly. According to the probable-cause account, Kelley told investigators he forcefully shook the infant by the legs, intentionally dropped him face-first onto a hardwood floor from a height of a couple of feet and used the baby’s own hands to strike him in the head. He allegedly demonstrated portions of the conduct with a doll during questioning.
Investigators said Kelley reported that the child went limp after the episode. He also allegedly acknowledged being angry at the time and said he was the only person caring for the baby when the conduct occurred. Police further alleged that he noticed unusual bruising the following morning but did not call for medical assistance. The allegation against Kelley thus covers a different part of the case from the allegation against Vesey: prosecutors say his actions inflicted trauma, while they accuse her of allowing a medical emergency to continue without timely intervention.
Hospital findings gave investigators a medical basis for examining both periods. Doctors documented serious brain injuries as well as retinal hemorrhages and fractured ribs, according to the records. A child-protection consultation determined that the findings were consistent with inflicted trauma involving shaking and striking and also referenced delayed medical care. The reports do not provide a final opinion on the child’s long-term recovery. They also do not establish in public detail when each individual injury occurred, leaving some medical chronology beyond what has been released.
The distinction between the two charges is reflected in Missouri law. First-degree child endangerment includes knowingly acting in a manner that creates a substantial risk to the life, body or health of a child younger than 17. The statute provides higher felony treatment when serious physical injury results. The abuse-or-neglect statute used in Kelley’s case separately addresses abuse causing physical injury and reckless conduct that causes abusive head trauma. Missouri law defines serious physical injury in part by whether an injury creates a substantial risk of death or causes serious or prolonged impairment.
Those statutory descriptions do not mean prosecutors have proved that either parent met the required legal standard. A probable-cause affidavit is written to explain why authorities believe an arrest or charge is justified. Defense attorneys can challenge the government’s evidence, question witnesses, contest interpretations of statements and medical findings, and present other evidence as a case progresses. Nothing in the reports reviewed indicated that a judge or jury had made a final finding that either parent committed the charged offense.
Investigators also cited information suggesting concerns about bruising may have existed before the emergency call. Police said a search on Vesey’s phone asked why a very young infant would have bruises. Vesey reportedly told officers that she routinely examined the child for injuries. Kelley, according to the affidavit, said he thought she did so because of his anger issues. Authorities have not publicly established through the reports reviewed exactly when the search was made in relation to each injury, nor have they released a complete account attributing every bruise or fracture to a specific event.
The phone evidence matters to the prosecution’s theory because Vesey’s case is centered less on what happened during the alleged physical abuse than on what she knew afterward and how she responded. The state would need to prove the mental-state requirements of the endangerment charge rather than merely show that the baby was injured while she was present in the household. Her statements about the baby’s symptoms, the timing shown by the phone and the emergency medical findings are therefore likely to remain key pieces of evidence as the case proceeds.
The infant’s current medical condition has not been fully detailed in the principal public reports. Early records confirmed that he survived long enough to receive emergency surgery and specialized treatment, but they did not provide a final prognosis or say whether neurological or other lasting impairment was expected. The absence of that information also limits conclusions about the child’s recovery beyond the documented fact that the initial injuries were considered life-threatening.
Kelley and Vesey were both reported jailed after being charged, with their criminal matters proceeding separately in Greene County. Early reports said Kelley was held without bond and listed August court appearances for both defendants. No final plea, trial result or sentencing outcome was identified in the public reports reviewed as of Sept. 28. Both remain presumed innocent of the charges unless proven guilty in court.
Author note: Last updated September 28, 2026.