A 37-year old Appleton woman is behind bars after she’s arrested for her 13-year-old daughter’s death.
The investigation has taken more than a year.
Appleton Police received a call last May that a girl living with special needs had died on the 800 block of Winnebago Street.
During the investigation, Child Protective Services and the Health Department were called because of the condition of the home.
“Visually, the house was not clean. The smell in the house, the presence of fruit flies and some other insects that caused them concern, and then looking at the conditions in the general area where the 13-year-old special needs child had been living,” said Sgt. Dave Lund with the Appleton Police Dept.
Police say this lead to their conclusion that the girl was not receiving the necessary care for her medical conditions.
The girl’s mother was arrested for neglect causing death.
“Even though she’s in jail, losing a child for anyone is traumatic. But also for our officers, it’s something we’ve become invested in to make sure there’s justice here, and when there’s neglect, that those issues are dealt with appropriately,” said Sgt. Lund.
At least two other children were at the house, but since the investigation began, she has not had custody of any kids.
The mother is currently in the Outagamie County Jail.
NBC26 is not naming the woman at this time because charges have not been officially filed.
