Death of baby decapitated during birth ruled a homicide, Clayton County medical examiner says
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The death of a baby who wound up decapitated during birth at a Clayton County hospital has now been ruled a homicide, the Clayton County medical examiner’s office announced Tuesday.
The medical examiner’s office said the cause of death of Treveon Taylor was a “fracture dislocation with complete transection (to the) upper cervical spine and spinal cord.” His death was caused by shoulder dystocia, arrest of labor and fetal entrapment in the birth canal.
The medical examiner’s office also said pregnancy-induced diabetes and premature rupture of membranes contributed to his death.
The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office said Treveon’s death was caused by the “actions of another person.”
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The newborn’s mother, Jessica Ross, 20, went into labor at Southern Regional Medical Center on July 9, 2023, and reported experiencing complications during the birthing process. According to a lawsuit filed on behalf of the newborn’s parents in August, the baby’s shoulders got stuck in the vaginal canal, at which point a doctor allegedly performed a cesarean section too late and applied “excessive tension” on the baby’s head, causing it to detach from the body.
The lawsuit claims the doctor did not tell the mother and father what had happened. Instead, hospital staff allegedly refused to let them hold the baby after death, the lawsuit claims. They showed the parents Treveon wrapped tightly in a blanket with his head propped on top, a statement said. It also says staff pressured the couple to cremate the remains and told them an autopsy wasn’t warranted.
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The family alleges they were not made aware of the decapitation until they received a concerning phone call from the Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home.
“I just felt a sense of urgency to say, hey listen, this is not right, this is not right. Never seen it before,” Sylvania Watkins, general manager of the Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, told Atlanta News First in August.
Watkins found it peculiar to receive a decapitated baby from a hospital and not the medical examiner’s office or law enforcement.
“With the body and the head being detached, we should have retrieved this body from the coroner’s office. When that did not happen, that’s when I said we need to reach out and back up and do it right,” said Watkins.
RELATED: Clayton County funeral home blows whistle after receiving decapitated baby
The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office was alerted to the deceased infant’s condition by the funeral home, launching an investigation into the matter shortly after.
Atlanta News First reached out to Southern Regional Medical Center for a statement regarding the homicide ruling. A spokesperson said they were not able to comment due to “current litigation.”
In August, the medical center shared the following statement, adding that they were not able to discuss details surrounding the birth due to HIPAA laws:
On Wednesday, attorneys for the family held a news conference reacting to the homicide ruling:
The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office said it will be up to the district attorney whether formal charges relating to the homicide investigation will be filed.
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