BEDFORD – The babysitter, the babysitter’s fiance, and others who lived in Maple Ridge Apartments testified Wednesday in Lawrence Superior Court I about the living conditions and health concerns of 20-month-old Elliaunna Plummer.
Her mother, Cheyenne Hill, 33, is facing a Level 1 felony charge of child neglect causing death. She has pleaded not guilty to the crime.
Judge John Plummer III is presiding. Robert Hamilton of Salem is representing Hill. Deputy Prosecutors Sarah Cummings and Joshua Scherschel present the case for the state.
Kara Fleming, a neighbor, testified she contaced the Department of Child Services four times over 18 months concerned about bruising on Eli and her living conditions.
Fleming said Hill called Elli her miracle child but didn’t treat her like she was.
There was tension between Kara Fleming and Hill. Kara is still married to Cameron Fleming, Hill’s boyfriend.
Michelle Barrow, Elli’s babysitter, testified she had watched Elli off and on and then regularly when Hill started working at PriceLess IGA.
Barrow testified Elli’s personality had changed from the summer of 2022 to November 2022 when Hill began working at IGA.
“She didn’t have a lot of energy; she was hiding a lot and didn’t want to be by herself,” Barrow testified.
Just days before Elli’s death, the baby had a large softball knot on her forehead.
“Cheyenne said Elli got her head stuck in the railing of the futon,” Barrow said. “She then said she fell off the bed and hit her head on the side of the table next to the bed. I told her it was really bad looking. She told me she had called the doctor, and he said to put ice on it and give her Tylenol.”
Hill told Borrow not to take Elli anywhere.
“I wasn’t allowed to take her outside for our walks,” Borrow added. “She didn’t want me to take her to the doctors or anywhere.”
Borrow testified that on November 21, she transported Elli to Priceless IGA to meet with a Child Protective Service worker.
Kevin Cliff, Barrows’ fiance, testified Elli was steadily declining.
“Her demeanor changed,” Cliff said. “She wasn’t acting like a normal toddler. Something was up. Cheyenne told us Elli had Lupus, and she was pulling her hair out, so Cheyenne shaved her head. I never saw Elli pull her hair out.”
Michelle Barrow had bought Elli a high chair to eat in.
“Cheyenne was furious,” Cliff testified. “She said Elli likes to eat off the floor. I raised kids, and kids don’t eat off the floor like animals. Cheyenne said well, that’s how I feed her, and she likes it.”
Cliff testified he noticed the softball-sized knot on Elli’s head on November 22, 2022. Hill told him Elli had rolled off the futon and hit her head on the nightstand.
“Cheyenne was almost threatening when she told us at no time did she want us taking Elli out or about and by no means were we to take her to the doctor or hospital that this was her decision and she is Elli’s mother,” Cliff said.
On Wednesday, November 23, Hill called Barrows and said she would not bring Elli over.
Barrow and Cliff live below Hill’s apartment. A short time later, Cliff testified he and Barrows heard Hill yelling at Elli.
“Elli was crying, and Cheyenne yelled, “Shut up, or I am going to throw you into the wall.”
Later that morning, Michelle Barrow got a call from Hill to take Elli to the hospital.
“I couldn’t see Elli; Cheyenne had her all covered up,” Barrow added. Cheyenne kept saying, ” Wake up, Elli. Wake up. ” We dropped them off, stayed in the parking lot for a while, and then returned home.
Barrow testified they returned to the hospital after Elli was lifelined to Riley Children’s Hospital to pick up Cheyenne.
Cliff testified Hill was “aggravated and upset” when they picked her up because she had left her wallet in Elli’s items, which the police had gathered for evidence.
“We drove to the police department, but her wallet wasn’t there. We drove to the sheriff’s department, but her wallet wasn’t there. We returned to the apartment and met with a detective there investigating, and Cheyenne got her wallet. We then went to Walmart to get her check cashed,” Cliff said.
While at Walmart, Hill purchased a cell phone, two sandwiches, and an iced coffee. She was in the store for about an hour.
The group stopped, got gas, and began the trip to Indianapolis.
Hill didn’t contact Riley Hospital to check on her child until they were outside Martinsville.
“She called Cameron and asked him to save her a plate from Thanksgiving and if something happened to Elli if she still had a place to live,” said Cliff. “She then called Riley, and they told her Elli wasn’t doing good, and she didn’t even cry. Then Cheyenne called her mother and then Cameron again.”
Once at Riley, Cheyenne went into the hospital, and Barrow and Cliff stayed in their vehicle for about an hour before returning to Bedford. They have not spoken to Hill since then.
Defense Attorney Robert Hamilton asked Cliff if he or Barrow had injured Elli.
“It did not happen in our care,” said Cliff. “I didn’t harm Elli by no means. I am a father myself. Something happened to this child. Cheyenne had no remorse for her child, the way she was acting….The only thing I am guilty of is not getting that little girl help. I should have ignored Cheyenne’s explicitive and got her help.”
Another neighbor, Carol Zollman, also testified to seeing bruises on Elli’s face in early November.
“Cheyenne told me they were not bruises but chocolate,” Zollman said. “A week before Thanksgiving, Cameron brought his boys and Elli to our apartment. Elli was ice cold, had bruises and dark circles under her eyes, and was as white as a ghost. I asked what was going on here? It was the last time I saw Elli.”
