Mom feeds her 2 children once a day, then leaves them to go meet her boyfriend. Now one is dead

An Indiana mother only fed her two children, ages 2 and 4, once a day before leaving them alone in a filthy home, according to the Indianapolis police.

Now, her 2-year-old daughter is dead, and she’s in jail. .. Continue reading here ▶

Chantell Gardner, 33, has been charged with child neglect resulting in death. She is being held in the Marion County Jail without bond.

According to a police report, Gardner called 911 around 6:30 p.m. after finding her daughter, identified as Skyler Gardner, unresponsive under a bedroom dresser.

The toddler’s body was “cold to the touch,” and paramedics later confirmed she had been dead for some time. Skyler had a deep wound on her neck and bruises on her face, arms, legs, and back.

Gardner told police she went to the apartment to feed her kids, but while her son came to her, Skyler did not. That’s when she discovered her daughter’s lifeless body. She grabbed her son and ran outside to call 911.

When police searched the home, they found it in horrifying conditions. The floors were covered in trash, human feces, steak knives, and soiled items. Feces were smeared on the walls, and rotting food was scattered throughout the apartment.

After being read her rights, Gardner admitted she had neglected her daughter. She said she often left the children alone for hours and only returned once a day to feed them. She also admitted that she hadn’t bathed one of them in nearly two weeks and often found them covered in feces. However, she insisted that she never physically or sexually abused Skyler.

Gardner’s boyfriend confirmed her story. He told police she stayed at his house every night and rarely had the children with her—at most, once a week.

Gardner was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where she remains in custody.