OK - Arrow Hyden, 5 mos, dies in squalid shed, Tulsa, 16 Jan 2016

Anna Marie Hyden, 23, and Kevin Lee Crawford, 52, each were charged Friday with child neglect, stemming from the conditions in which Hyden’s 6-month-old son, Arrow Hyden, was living, according to court documents.

On Jan. 16, police, EMSA and firefighters responded to the 300 block of South Zunis Avenue regarding an infant who appeared to be in cardiac arrest. Arrow Hyden was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead...

In November, Hyden had moved with Crawford and her baby into a shed behind a residence... The shed was without running water and was being powered by an extension cord from the residence, the affidavit states. Police described the living conditions as “deplorable,” and that trash, chemicals and filth littered the shed.

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The January death of a 5-month-old Tulsa boy has prompted an internal review of two years of cases by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and pending disciplinary actions against some of its employees.

Starting at birth, Arrow Hyden had the attention of medical staff when his mother tested positive for marijuana at the time of delivery...

Through the next few months and a total of five contacts, DHS workers ruled referrals for neglect as “unsubstantiated.” These determinations were made even though home visits revealed intoxicated caregivers, a mother admitting she used meth and a failed safety plan.

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Anna Marie Hyden, 24, was charged with child neglect along with Kevin Lee Crawford, 53, on claims they allowed Arrow Hyden to live in an uninhabitable environment in the 300 block of South Zunis Avenue. Authorities said they had exposed him to methamphetamine, which along with their failure to seek medical care contributed to the baby dying Jan. 16, 2016.

District Judge William LaFortune told the pair they are “equally responsible” for what happened despite the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office being unable to determine the manner of death.

LaFortune said Hyden will spend 20 years in prison and have five years of probation, while Crawford will serve a life sentence plus 15 years for related drug charges. Hyden and Crawford entered blind guilty pleas in April and May, respectively.

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Assistant District Attorney Sarah McAmis, who prosecuted the case, told reporters after the sentencing that the lengthy proceedings were “completely worth it” because Arrow received justice from police and the court system.

“If an adult chooses to continue in that lifestyle despite all of the help that had been given to both of them, and if an adult chooses to live in deplorable conditions, that’s fine,” she said. “That’s a choice that an adult can make for his or her self. But you cannot bring a baby into that environment. Whether you are an addict or not, you have a responsibility to make sure that baby is taken care of.”

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JusticeWillBeServed said:

July 2017:

Life sentence handed down in Tulsa baby's death that made waves at DHS

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