Police charge mother with manslaughter after baby dies of malnutrition – Winnipeg Free Press

A 27-year-old Winnipeg mother has been charged with first degree murder after police say her two-month-old son died of malnutrition – the city's second homicide involving a young victim in a week.

The Winnipeg Police Service's Child Abuse Unit launched an investigation into the Dec. 4 death of King Campbell-Ross at the family home.

“It's very sad. It's a difficult thing to understand,” said police spokesman Const. Jason Mihalyshen. “When charges are brought against the mother because of the behavior or lack thereof, the child is not provided with the basic necessities of life, which is proper nutrition and care.”

Mihalyshen said he understands that his mother — identified by police as Alyssa Michelle Ross — is the child's sole caregiver.

Sherry Gott, Manitoba's child and youth advocate, said her office is investigating after receiving reports of King's death.

An advocate will consider a child's death if they previously received resources through child and family services or were involved in mental health, substance abuse or youth justice services in the year before the death.

“I am heartbroken by the death of this young baby, another life lost too soon in our province,” Gott said in a statement. “Now we don't have all the details.

“However, if there are recommendations we can make to the government to address any systemic issues that the factors may be affecting, we will do so.”

King was found around 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at a home on Atlantic Avenue between McKenzie and Parr streets when police and Winnipeg Fire Paramedics responded to a report of an unresponsive baby.

At that time, there were other children in the house, Mikhalyshen said.

The next day they talked, the neighbors told Free press they witnessed the baby being taken out of the house and put in a small bag.

“I saw someone carrying someone very small. I think it was a baby,” said the woman, who declined to be named. “She's wrapped in a blue blanket.”

When the boy's body was taken out of the house, he was shocked and sick.

“The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I saw that,” the woman said.

He and the second Atlantic Avenue resident said the mother had several young children. She said she was a single mother.

According to residents, the mother moved into the rented house in the Inkster-Faraday neighborhood last summer. They said he used their phones several times to call people, including the homeowner.

“She had a new baby,” said one of the residents.

At that time, the neighbors did not know why the emergency workers were called to the house.

Police said an autopsy determined Campbell-Ross died of malnutrition. Manslaughter charges have been filed by the Manitoba Prosecutor's Office.

Thursday, officers arrested Ross in the 100 block of Higgins Avenue. He was in custody.

It is not known whether Ross or her baby received any support or visits from health or community agencies at the time of her death.

According to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's website, community health nurses offer home visits to all families after birth.

Ross has a minor criminal record — a 2017 conviction for impaired driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

He was fined $2,150 and banned from driving for a year.

Court heard he had been living in Winnipeg since being evicted from his Lake St. Martin First Nation home following the 2011 floods.

At the time of the sentencing, she was a mother of two preschool children. Prior to sentencing, he completed an alcohol addiction treatment program.

On February 2, parents Sabrina Faye Bullett, 37, and Harry Daniel Adrian Bruce, 38, were charged with causing the death of their one-year-old daughter, Hannah.

The girl died March 23, 2023, at her family's home in the 600 block of Stella Avenue in North End after taking an overdose of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, police said.

The parents are accused of waiting for hours before calling for help.

In October 2022, the Crown dropped charges of manslaughter and concealment of the child's body against a Winnipeg mother whose newborn daughter was found in a dumpster five months earlier.

The court said it was not satisfied the Crown was likely to convict the 32-year-old.

Police said they believed the baby was alive when it was dumped in the lane between Boyd and Redwood avenues west of Powers Street.

— With files from Dean Pritchard

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