Mom gets ‘sleeping’ infant from babysitter, realizes he’s dying, Louisiana cops say

A Louisiana mom assumed her “limp” 3-month-old was simply asleep when she picked him up from a babysitter, but it quickly became clear something was wrong, according to detectives in southwest Louisiana.

The boy wouldn’t wake up, resulting in her rushing him to a hospital in Lake Charles Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a Feb. 4 news release.

He died hours later.

“Detectives learned the baby sustained a massive brain bleed and multiple skull fractures, which are believed to be consistent with trauma,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The baby was left in the custody of Shirley L. Sawyer ... for approximately 3 hours that day. The mother advised when she arrived at Sawyer’s residence, she believed the baby to be asleep, but a short time later discovered the child was limp and unresponsive.”

Hospital staff told detectives the boy had been brutalized, resulting in “a massive brain bleed and multiple skull fractures ... consistent with trauma.”

Sawyer, 40, was arrested Feb. 3 and charged with first-degree murder, officials said. Bond was set at $2.5 million.

Detectives have not released details of a motive.

Lake Charles is about a 200-mile drive west from New Orleans.

This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 7:20 AM with the headline "Mom gets ‘sleeping’ infant from babysitter, realizes he’s dying, Louisiana cops say."