MARLBORO COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division says it arrested a 17-year-old woman Thursday in connection to the death of her child.
Agents charged Heather Marie Roscoe, 17, of Bennettsville, with homicide by child abuse. SLED spokesman Thom Berry says the felony, upon conviction, carries a minimum of 20 years to life in prison.
The infant’s father, identified as David Garner, 18, of Bennettsville, was arrested in March and charged with homicide by child abuse.
Marlboro County Coroner Tim Brown says the parents of 1-month-old Kailey Garner took the infant to the McColl Rescue Squad on March 23 for medical help. The rescue squad took the baby to Scotland Memorial Hospital for treatment, but Kailey died at the hospital, Brown confirmed.
The arrest warrant says that Roscoe knowingly failed to seek medical attention after becoming aware of “injuries she knew or should have known were inflicted by the co-defendant.”
The arrest warrant for David Garner in March says the man, “did cause the death of his child who was a month old. [David Garner] did so while committing child abuse by shaking the child violently.”
SLED says it investigated the case at the request of the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office. Roscoe is being held at the Marlboro County Detention Center.
