Child abuse charges filed after Carthage couple allegedly starved 1-year-old boy

 

A Carthage woman charged with child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the starving of a 1-year-old boy has been released after posting a $7,000 cash bond today.

A 9 a.m. May 28 initial appearance has been scheduled in Jasper County Circuit Court for Emily Elizabeth Katz (DOB 1997).

Jasper County Detention Center online records indicate the child's father, Braxton Michael Blevins (DOB 1998) is still being held in lieu of a $50,000 surety bond or $7,000 cash, the same as Katz' bond.

From Blevins' probable cause statement:

On March 1, 2025, Carthage Police Officers were contacted by Children’s Mercy Hospital regarding a one-year-old male juvenile admitted for severe malnutrition, starvation, recurrent infections, and failure to thrive. 

Medical personnel reported the juvenile had been hospitalized multiple times since birth for similar conditions. 

In each instance, when placed under hospital-supervised care and fed according to the prescribed protocol, the juvenile gained weight and improved. Hospital staff stated this demonstrated the victim’s medical complications were treatable with proper care and nutrition, which Blevins was trained on and said he was providing. 

Despite the Blevins' claims that they were following the feeding plan at home, officers discovered between ten (10) and twenty (20) unused bags of the juvenile’s Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) stored in the family’s refrigerator. 

Medical staff advised that the juvenile required one TPN bag per day, delivered weekly. One TPN bag per day makes up 79% of the victim's total daily caloric intake. The presence of excess TPN supplies indicated the juvenile was not receiving the prescribed nutrition. 

Hospital staff confirmed Blevins had completed the required medical training for the juvenile's care and nutrition needs. However, during each hospitalization, Blevins was consistently unable to explain the home care provided or account for the juvenile’s weight loss and deteriorating condition. 

Children’s Mercy SCAN team concluded that, based on the juvenile’s repeated medical issues and evidence of missed feedings, the victim’s condition was a result of Blevins' neglect. The juvenile remains hospitalized under medical care. 

During a subsequent interview with Blevins, he admitted he was aware of the victim's critical medical needs, including daily TPN administration through a central line, and acknowledged missing multiple feedings, particularly during the final month of care, due to marijuana use and falling asleep. 

Blevins confirmed that during the 94 days the juvenile victim was in his custody, the child lost approximately 5.5 pounds, while corresponding medical records show the victim consistently gained weight when hospitalized and cared for by medical staff. Blevins admitted he recognized he could not meet the victim's medical needs, but continued custody due to fear of losing rights to their other child.

From Katz' probable cause statement:

Hospital staff confirmed Katz had completed the required medical training for the juvenile's care and nutrition needs. However, during each hospitalization, Katz was consistently unable to explain the home care provided or account for the juvenile’s deteriorating condition. Children’s Mercy SCAN team concluded that, based on the juvenile’s repeated medical issues and evidence of missed feedings, the victim’s condition was a result of caregiver neglect. The juvenile remains hospitalized under medical care. 

During a subsequent interview, Katz admitted struggling with maintaining cleanliness in the home and acknowledged improper care of her infant son’s central line and GI tube. 

Medical records showed that during three separate periods under Katz’s and Braxton Blevins' care, the victim suffered significant weight loss totaling over 5.5 pounds, despite documented weight gains when hospitalized and placed on the same feeding regimen. 

Katz offered no reasonable explanation for the failures in care and terminated the interview after being advised of the charges.