BEDFORD – Police arrested Cheyenne Hill, 33, on a Level 1 felony charge of child neglect, causing the death of her daughter, 20-month-old Elliaunna (Elli) M. Plummer. She has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Her five-day jury trial began today with jury selection in Lawrence County Superior Court I, with Judge John Plummer III presiding. Court officials expect jury selection to take most of the day and possibly into Tuesday morning.
The trial is scheduled through February 2. Robert G. Hamilton of Salem is representing Hill. Prosecutor Sam Arp II is presenting the case for the state.
Hill was arrested in September 2023 in Michigan and transported back to Lawrence County to face charges.
Lawrence Sheriff’s Department Detectives, led by Capt. Jim Slone conducted an extensive and exhaustive investigation into the events surrounding and leading up to Elliaunna’s death.
According to a probable cause affidavit, on November 23, 2022, at 12:16 p.m., officers were requested to go to IU Health Bedford Hospital by the Department of Child Services caseworker who reported that Elli had been flown by a medical helicopter from IU Health to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
The baby had suffered a brain bleed, a broken collar bone, and had head and facial bruising. The child also had a swollen and deformed head with bruising to her forehead and the left and right sides of her face.
The baby arrived at the IU Health Bedford Hospital for treatment at 11:01 a.m. on November 23, 2022.
On November 23, 2022, after being transferred to Riley Hospital, police received a report from an IU Child Protection Program Nurse Practitioner that stated there had been no accidental history provided that
would account for the patient’s (Elli) traumatic and likely fatal injuries.
On November 26, 2022, Elli was pronounced dead at 4:35 p.m.
On November 29, 2022, a post-mortem examination conducted by Pathologist Doctor Amanda Paul
revealed Elli was malnourished and had suffered a laceration to her upper and lower frenulum in the mouth that was not from medical intervention, a right, acute clavicle fracture, and multiple subgaleal hemorrhages – an accumulation of blood that forms between a baby’s skull and the skin on their scalp. Dr. Paul concluded the manner of death was a homicide and that the injuries would have occurred after November 21, 2022, and the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
A Department of Child Services caseworker reported they received two anonymous Hotline tips about Elli’s welfare before her death. Hill’s defense attorney, Robert G. Hamilton of Salem, filed a motion in limine requesting those calls not be allowed to be presented to the jury during her trial. Judge Plummer granted that request.
On December 7, 2022. Hill submitted to a stipulated polygraph examination. Indiana State Police Polygraph Examiner Sergeant Jason Sample, who conducted the exam, believed that Hill was not truthful and failed the polygraph test.
Hill told investigators that she did not pass the polygraph because she failed Elliaunna. When asked why she didn’t take Elli to the hospital, Hill said she had to provide for her daughter, saying she was about to be homeless.
