Samantha Brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

Child-protection workers had crossed paths with Samantha’s family 11 times before her death. Jilliean Phillips, had six children five of which had been removed by the Denver Department of Human Services because of concerns about abuse or neglect.On night Phillips was “just being lazy” and drank three cans of beer and took three shots of vodka before she laid her five month old daughter Samantha Brown in bed with her. When she woke up October 24, 2010 Samantha was dead. Phillips told police she knew the risks when she put Samantha in bed with her. Before Samantha was born, child-welfare services received seven reports that Phillips was late in either dropping off or picking up her children at school. In 2007, when the school called caseworkers, Phillips suggested that her seven year old son retrieve her daughter from the school. In 2008, Phillips stabbed her husband, Samuel Brown, while her four children were in the home. Brown drove himself to a hospital with superficial wounds. Phillips’ four oldest children were removed from the home.

 

One year later, Phillips gave birth to her fifth child in a bathtub. The baby boy, who tested positive for cocaine and alcohol. He spent the first five days of his little life in the neonatal intensive care unit. He was placed in foster care immediately after he was released from the hospital. Phillips tested positive for cocaine while she was pregnant with Samantha. When Samantha was born, Phillips and Brown agreed to take part in treatment, and Samantha was sent home with her parents.

 

An autopsy showed that Samantha died of sudden unexplained infant death syndrome. The manner of death was undetermined. Phillips’ decision to drink while caring for the Samantha and letting her sleep in a dangerous place led to charges of child abuse. She pleaded guilty to child abuse negligently causing death. Phillips was originally sentenced to eight years in prison but was resentenced to six years of intensive supervised probation.

 

 

 

 

 

http://childfatalities.denverpost.com/#id=5&name=BrownSamantha