Five enter not guilty pleas in death of four-month-old at Red Bay daycare

RED BAY, Ala. (WAFF) - Five women who are implicated in the death of a 4-month-old girl at a Red Bay daycare have pleaded not guilty, according to prosecutor Jeff Barksdale.

Court records show that the following women entered a not guilty plea:

• Payton Nicole Gann of Golden, Mississippi
• Teia Kay Gann of Vina
• Hannah Grace Letson of Red Bay
• Daycare owner Angelene Chamblee

The fifth woman, Madison Jade McCalpin entered a plea of not guilty and made an application for treatment as a youthful offender. This application is set for a hearing at a later date. At the time of the infant’s death, McCalpin was just 17 years old.

According to Franklin County Coroner Charles Adcox, the coroner’s office responded to reports of an infant not breathing on March 9. The four-month-old was found unresponsive at the Tiny Tigers Daycare, located on 4th Street, and was transported to the emergency room by a daycare worker, according to the Red Bay Police Department. The infant was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The infant was identified as 4-month-old Autumn Wells

The five women were arrested on June 1 after grand jury indictments were returned in May.

Payton Nicole Gann and Madison McCalpin were both charged with false reporting to law enforcement and manslaughter.

Angelene Chamblee is being charged with six counts of child care act violation and two counts of forgery.

Teia Kay Gann and Letson were each charged with tampering with a witness. Letson was also charged with tampering with physical evidence.

According to court documents, McCalpin and Payton Gann are accused of causing the death of the infant by putting the infant on her stomach and leaving her on her stomach for an extended period of time.

The documents also say that Letson was charged with tampering with physical evidence because she threw away numerous medications she believed were in violation of Alabama DHR regulations.

Teia Gann was charged with tampering with a witness for attempting to have McCalpin stick to her original false claim about where the infant was placed when she died.

Chamblee, the owner of the daycare, is accused of failing to keep records and make reports that are required by law. She also failed to keep records of the health and safety training of her employees. Chamblee allowed a 17-year-old aide to be counted as a staff member in the seven-day-old to 24-month-old classroom which is a violation of Alabama codes.

Lastly, Chamblee was also charged for operating without the proper child-to-staff ratio and allowing the seven-day-old to 24-month-old classroom to operate without proper staffing.

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