Kansas woman charged in death of baby injured at unlicensed home day care
A Kansas woman was charged with murder Thursday in the death of a 4-month-old girl at an unlicensed day care program she was running out of her home.
Christy M. Nemnich, 32, faces charges of first-degree murder and operating an unlicensed day care, along with two counts of felony child abuse.
Nemnich previously operated the childcare business out of her Ellinwood, Kansas home under the name of Building Blocks Daycare, LLC, according to a lawsuit filed in September 2023 by the parents of the deceased. The infant, identified in court documents as M.R., had been at Nemnich’s home on March 24, 2023, and sustained injuries from which she passed away on March 28.
A Barton County judge dismissed M.R.’s parents’ lawsuit in October 2024, according to court documents. In the lawsuit, the parents alleged that Nemnich had called them several hours after day care drop-off to say that the baby’s arm had become stiff and she had lost consciousness.
M.R.’s parents took her to a local emergency room, the lawsuit reads, where doctors discovered a brain bleed consistent with a head injury. M.R.’s arm and clavicle had also been fractured, along with five ribs, the lawsuit states.
M.R. was airlifted to a hospital in Wichita, according to the lawsuit, where she was pronounced dead as a result of the brain bleed within four days.
Thursday’s charges against Nemnich followed a joint investigation by the Barton County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Charges against Nemnich were filed in Barton County Court by the office of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.
Nemnich is currently being detained in the Barton County Jail, according to the KBI.
Ellinwood, Kansas is about 240 miles west of Kansas City.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
