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Lafayette woman sentenced to 40 years for the death of her child

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) – A Lafayette woman accused of neglect resulting in the death of her eight-month-old daughter has been sentenced.

23-year-old Makenzie Shultz was sentenced to 40 years in prison and four years on probation after being convicted on nine charges in September.

Shultz’s eight-month-old daughter, Briley, died in November 2015 after being taken to the hospital by her father, Chad Giroux, and aunt, Lauren Giroux.

It was discovered that the baby had been dead for several hours. The pathologist said the cause of Briley’s death was asphyxiation, but she was also emaciated, dehydrated, malnourished and had an impacted bowel.

It was also revealed that Briley had not seen a doctor in six months.

Several family members said that they heard that the child was kept in the closet with items placed on top of her.

The defendant gave several inconsistent statements, telling police three completely different stories about where the baby was found, what time of day and what happened.

The state claimed she tried covering up the neglect by throwing away some of the baby’s items in the dumpster, cleaning the apartment and getting rid of marijuana in the home before calling police.

The baby’s 26-year-old father, Chad Giroux, was also indicted in this case.

Giroux testified against Shultz in the trial, saying he caught her several times putting the baby in the closet with clothing covering her face.

He was sentenced to 34 years in prison for his role in the crime.