Appeals court upholds New Castle woman's 30-year sentence in fatal neglect case

NEW CASTLE, Ind. — The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a New Castle woman's 30-year prison term for her role in the death of a four-year-old boy.

Michelle Maylee Key, 37, received that sentence from Henry Circuit Court 2 Judge Kit Crane in June after pleading guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony.

Darien Joseph Davis was in the custody of his father, Jacob Thomas Davis, and Key — at the time the girlfriend of the elder Davis — when he died in their mobile home along Glenwood Drive on Jan. 12, 2020.

An autopsy concluded the boy — who weighed 25 pounds — died as a result of dehydration, malnutrition and neglect.

Key's 30-year sentence was the maximum penalty under the terms of a plea agreement.

In an appeal, Key contended her sentences was "inappropriate in light of her character and the nature of the offense."

In a 3-0 ruling released Friday, the Court of Appeals disagreed with that claim.

"The nature of Key’s offense does not support (sentence) revision," Judge Leanna Weissmann wrote in the ruling. "Key pleaded guilty to a terrible act: neglectfully causing the death of a child in her care.

"As (Judge Crane) put it, just 'one phone call' to the authorities informing them of (the child's) condition may have been all it took to save his life," Weissmann wrote.

The appeals panel also found that Key's character "does not warrant relief," saying that the New Castle woman "tries to downplay her criminal record" that included a prior conviction for neglect.

Weissmann wrote the appellate judges could not ignore Crane's finding that Key's expressions of remorse were "speculative" and that (he) could not determine whether her remorse was "for the child's (death) or due to her being held accountable."

Key is incarcerated at the Rockville Correctional Facility in western Indiana and has a projected release date in December 2042, when she would be 56.

Jacob Davis pleaded guilty to neglect in December 2022 and was later sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Both plea bargains saw pending counts of murder dismissed.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Court upholds New Castle woman's 30-year sentence in fatal neglect case