FARGO, ND (Valley News Live) – The sentence has been set for a St. Michael, North Dakota woman accused of abusing a toddler and causing his death.
Kenzie Rose Baker, 27, appeared in federal court in Fargo on August 16 and pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact, child abuse in Indian Country and child neglect in Indian Country. Baker’s sentence is scheduled for January 22, 2025.
“The abuse and death of this young child was senseless, wasteful and extremely cruel,” said U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider. “The disregard for life demonstrated in this case cannot be undone, but by holding the child abusers accountable in federal court, we hope that future tragedies can be prevented. Our partners in federal law enforcement and prosecutors will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect children.”
According to court documents, on February 18, 2023, Baker called 911 from a home in St. Michael on the Spirit Lake Reservation and reported that a one-year-old child was not breathing. The child was taken to CHI St. Alexius in Devils Lake and pronounced dead.
An autopsy determined the cause of death was “abused child” because external and internal examination revealed numerous, repeated injuries of varying ages. The child’s internal injuries were not treated, resulting in infection and sepsis.
Baker admitted that she had noticed the swelling for two weeks but had not sought medical attention. After the child’s death, Baker’s co-defendant Collin Ray Delorme claimed that an external injury to the child’s back, overlying a fractured vertebra, occurred when he misjudged a step, his boot slipped, and the child was struck by a flashlight. Police attempted to find and confiscate the flashlight, and Baker said she would give it to him, but did not.
Delorme is charged with murder in Indian Country, child abuse in Indian Country, and child neglect in Indian Country. Delorme is scheduled to go to trial on November 19, 2024.
Baker and Delorme will be held in custody until Baker is convicted and Delorme is tried.
All rights reserved.
