A Missouri mother has been arrested after her 1-year-old child died after not being fed for nearly two days, according to authorities.
According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol news release, Alyssa N. Wehmeyer, 21, of Cape Girardeau, was charged on Tuesday, March 4, with one count of abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death.
The arrest occurred the day after the Cape Girardeau Police Department requested that the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime “investigate a suspicious death” of a toddler.
“The investigation revealed that the child died as a result of severe malnutrition and neglect. The Missouri State Highway Patrol apprehended Wehmeyer on March 3, 2025, and transported him to the Scott County Jail, according to the release.
According to a warrant for arrest document obtained by PEOPLE, the suspect is accused of not feeding the one-year-old for approximately 43 hours.
A probable cause affidavit, also seen by PEOPLE, confirmed that an autopsy had been performed. “At the conclusion, it was determined that the possible cause of death was dehydration,” it stated, adding that there was “very little evidence of food” in the child’s stomach.
Wehmeyer reportedly told authorities that the child last ate on February 26 between 5 and 6 p.m. local time. She also stated that she would put them to bed the next night around 6:30 p.m. after changing their diapers. According to the documents, it had been about 24 hours since the child last ate.
The child awoke crying on February 28 at around 2 a.m., and the suspect held them for 30 to 40 minutes before lying them back down in bed, according to the documents. Around 1 p.m. that day, she went to check on the child and discovered that their lips were blue and they were not breathing.
The child’s diaper had not been changed in nearly 19 hours, and they had “severe blisters” on their buttocks due to a diaper rash, according to authorities. The documents revealed that the child had been left unattended in their crib for nearly 19 hours.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Wehmeyer blamed the lack of diaper changing on a migraine, claiming to have taken three Excedrin and taken a nap. She stated that she had not sought medical treatment for the child’s malnutrition or severe diaper rash.
The suspect is being held on a $100,000 bond, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol news release.
Wehmeyer is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Thursday, March 6.
PEOPLE contacted the Missouri State Highway Patrol for more information, but they did not respond immediately.
