Dead baby found in freezing car; mother unconscious with bottle of alcohol
INDIANAPOLIS — A mother faces charges after she was found unconscious in her car with a bottle of alcohol and her dead baby, according to court documents.
Police found Rachel McAfee, 36, and her 3-month-old infant daughter, Emma, inside a vehicle in the 2600 block of Stanford Court Tuesday afternoon.
Rachel was taken to Eskenazi Hospital where she was treated for frostbite. A doctor that examined her said the mother appeared to be intoxicated and she “had short term memory loss about the death of her child and no concept of time,” according to court documents, according to WXIN and WISH.
Emma was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rachel and Emma were at the center of a city-wide search earlier that day after family members reported them missing.
Police say a homeowner called 911 to report a woman and baby inside of a gray Subaru just after 2:50 p.m. The temperature was about nine degrees at the time.
Responding officers said they tried to find Rachel’s shoes in the car and found a bottle of rum. The vehicle was out of gas, and its battery was dead.
According to police, McAfee had been battling postpartum depression and might have been suicidal. McAfee’s husband told investigators his wife was supposed to drop off the infant at his parent’s house while Rachel McAfee was supposed to attend a meeting for excessive drinking.
WXIN talked to John McAfee after his wife and daughter disappeared but before they were found. He admitted early on his wife struggled with alcoholism and depression.
“She’s drank since I’ve known her, but it’s gotten out of control the last couple of years. That’s kind of when all this started spiraling,” said John McAfee.
In fact, police reports show just last week officers were called to check on Rachel’s emotional welfare and John told police, “Rachel is known to drink alcohol until she passes out.”
Her husband also said Emma didn’t make it to her last scheduled doctor’s appointing on Feb. 22 because his wife had consumed too much alcohol and passed out.
Police say McAfee remained in the hospital but was charged Wednesday with neglect of a dependent causing death.
The death remains under investigation by IMPD.