Dacia Lacey Bench Trial

***This is NOT a Shanda or Jose Ruiz type of trial. While tragic, there are no allegations of horrific abuse. ***

Dacia Lacey, 32, was arrested in January 2022 and charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death. She faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted. This was a bench trial, not a jury trial. The trial took place the week of April 15, 2024.

On the morning of Aug. 29, 2022, police responded to Dacia Lacey's residence and found 2-month-old, Alona, not breathing,

Dacia told investigators that she placed the baby on her couch, propped up with a bottle, and went to bed. She called 911 when she found Alona was not breathing.

A relative contacted Indianapolis Metro PD claiming one of Lacey's other two children, who were both home at the time Alona died, had commented, “Yah, she was crying, and mom put a pillow over her face.”

The results of a drug screen conducted on Dacia the day the baby died showed Dacia had both amphetamine and methamphetamine in her system.

The Marion County Coroner's Office determined Alona's cause of death was undetermined after an autopsy was completed.

Dacia admitted to a detective that she had taken a pill and was still impaired the day Alona died.

Dacia described how she fed and rocked the baby, who would not stop crying. She said she hit the baby and tried to force a bottle into her mouth.

She admitted to then turning the baby and smothering her in between the cushions of the couch because she wanted to sleep, according to the probable cause document.

Lacey allegedly told the detective during her interview that the incident was an accident since she was on methamphetamine and didn't smother the baby intentionally.

00:00 Stream starts
14:13 Defendant enters
16:38 State opening statement
19:03 Defense opening statement
24:45 First witness
01:01:35 911 call
01:19:20 Second Witness
01:47:00 AJ gets distracted by her chat
01:52:52 Third witness
02:09:00 The stream gets derailed! Watch at your own risk! :)
02:39:42 Fourth witness
03:05:14 Defendant's dad takes the stand
03:34:56 Defendant's future stepmom takes the stand
04:19:16 Fifth witness
05:20:36 State closing argument
05:29:02 Defense closing argument
05:46:33 State rebuttal
05:53:00 AJ realizes the video doesn't have the verdict
06:02:00 Verdict