GRAMPIAN — A Grampian couple who have been charged in the death of their 39-day-old infant daughter that occurred July 1 waived their rights to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial Distrift James Glass yesterday at Centralized Court held at the Clearfield County Jail.
Alexa Lynn Kephart, 22, and Dakota Canfield, 23, both of Grampian, were charged with involuntary manslaughter and other charges by Clearfield-based state police after their newborn baby was found deceased in their bed on July 1.
Kephart is facing felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering welfare of children, and a misdemeanor charge of recklessly endangering another person. Canfield is facing the same charges except involuntary manslaughter.
On July 1, police were called to the 300-block of Stronach Road in Penn Township to a mobile home where Kephart, Canfield, their 22-month-old son and the baby were residing for about three weeks. The two adults and two children regularly slept in the same bed in the master bedroom of the trailer.
Kephart told police she and Canfield woke up around 10:14 a.m. and found the baby lying beside Kephart covered with a blanket, unconscious and blue.
The couple called Clearfield County Emergency Services and began CPR. The local fire department and EMS were dispatched to the scene, and upon arrival, found the couple standing in the front yard of the residence holding the baby. EMS took the infant and began CPR and transported her to Penn Highlands Clearfield where she was pronounced dead at 11 a.m.
The couple was later interviewed the same day by troopers at the Woodland barracks where it was learned that Clearfield County Children and Youth Services had an open case with the couple that began when the infant was born. Kephart had tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine at the time she gave birth and again after giving birth with the same drugs in her system, according to court documents.
The couple were then subject to another drug screening with Kephart testing positive for methamphetamine, amphetamines, marijuana and Ecstasy, police said. Canfield tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine, marijuana, Ecstasy and alcohol, according to charging documents.
On July 28, a CYS caseworker again conducted a drug screen on the couple and both tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana. Both admitted to using drugs before the child was born and after, and that they were both caregivers for the infant, according to police.
Canfield is incarcerated in lieu of $50,000 monetary bills, Kephart is incarcerated in lieu of $25,000 monetary bail.
Kephart was represented by Pittsburgh-based attorneys Matthew T. Ness, Michael T. Wor Gil, and Samir Sarna. Canfield was represented by the Clearfield County Public Defender’s Office.
Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers represented the commonwealth.
