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Officials are investigating an unmarried Citrus couple, ages 16 and 18.
By JIM ROSS and BILL VARIAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 16, 2000
CRYSTAL RIVER -- A 3-month-old girl died Friday and her twin sister remained hospitalized as authorities investigated the teenage parents in a case of suspected child abuse.
"We think that there's something wrong," said Willard Pope, a prosecutor who supervises the State Attorney's Office in Citrus County. "To say that the evidence that we have now is extremely suspicious is a pretty fair statement."
No one was arrested Friday.
The twins' father, whom authorities identified as 18-year-old Ricky Slater, could not be reached for comment.
But the girls' mother, 16-year-old Lindsey Ammerman, said that neither she nor Slater harmed either child.
Ammerman, who attends Crystal River High School, and Slater are unmarried. They live together in a triplex at 506 NE Ninth St., near Crystal River High. Investigators were at the home Friday evening removing evidence, including a couch.
Pope, the prosecutor, said the couple had retained legal counsel. He declined to describe them as suspects.
The dead child was named Lacie, and her sister is named Kelsey. Both girls were born one month premature, family members said.
Police said that on Wednesday one or both of the parents took Lacie to Seven Rivers Community Hospital, just north of Crystal River. The parents said the child had fallen face first off a couch two weeks ago but didn't start showing ill effects until Wednesday.
The hospital transferred the girl to Shands at the University of Florida. Nurses and other health professionals at Seven Rivers had noticed signs of abuse, such as broken ribs and old bruises, authorities said.
The Department of Children and Families and law enforcement officials were notified. Children and Families took the other twin from the couple's home and arranged a medical examination, according to Pope. That child also showed signs of abuse, such as broken ribs.
"They've got injuries that, by all appearance, appear to have been inflicted upon them," Pope said.
Ammerman told a reporter that she had taken Lacie to her pediatrician, Dr. Komala Bhushan, several times in recent days, including a visit Tuesday. She said Lacie awoke at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday and was fed.
But by 9 a.m., the baby was "comatose," Ammerman said.
Ammerman said the pediatrician told her that both infants' bruises and broken bones could have been suffered during birth.
Lacie was pronounced dead at 11:22 a.m. Friday, Crystal River police said. Kelsey remained at Shands late Friday and probably will stay there several more days.
Pope said the parents have "somewhat" cooperated with authorities -- providing information at first, but then retaining a lawyer and remaining silent after the investigation began.
Crystal River police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are leading the investigation. FDLE is involved because it can conduct more sophisticated evidence tests, Pope said.
Ricky Slater's father, Joe, had little contact with his son during the past two or three years. The younger Slater was living with his mother during that time.
Joe Slater said his son played junior varsity football at Crystal River High School before dropping out. The son had a few problems with police, the elder Slater said, though he could provide no details.
"I just cannot imagine Ricky abusing something of that size, and that precious," Joe Slater said during a telephone interview from his Crystal River home. "I know he was proud of them, because he told me that."
Ammerman's mother, Carla Hernandez, described her daughter as a loving mother.
"My daughter is not a murderer," said Hernandez. "She loves them and is gentle with them and anybody who even thinks anything else can kiss my a--."
"No one in this family is a murderer," Ammerman said. "Not my family, not Ricky's family."