HUNTINGTON, IN – The death of a newborn boy has rocked a quiet Indiana community, as authorities allege he suffered repeated abuse at the hands of his father in the weeks leading up to his death.
The infant, just a few weeks old, was first brought to medical attention on October 17, 2025, after a pediatrician spotted unusual bruising during a routine checkup. Concerned for the child’s well-being, the doctor insisted the parents take him to the emergency room, where additional signs of potential mistreatment surfaced, including a small bleed in the baby’s eye. Although his mother suggested a pacifier might have caused the back bruise, doctors disagreed, noting that an infant of his age was unlikely to roll over onto objects with such force.
Medical staff soon discovered troubling new developments. Testing revealed what appeared to be a brain bleed, signaling grave concerns about the cause and extent of the boy’s injuries. As the infant’s condition worsened, he was transferred to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis and placed in critical care.
During his stay, the back mark that initially alarmed doctors gradually faded, and medical personnel later determined it was likely a Mongolian mark—a harmless birthmark seen in some newborns. Still, the child’s other injuries persisted and could not be easily explained away.
Just 12 days after the first hospital visit, tragedy struck again. The boy’s mother called 911 on October 29 when she found her child unresponsive at home. Paramedics raced the infant to the hospital, where he was found to have suffered devastating head injuries, internal bleeding, and virtually no brain activity, according to medical reports.
With the boy’s life hanging in the balance, doctors once again airlifted him to Riley Children’s Hospital. A detailed examination revealed a disturbing pattern of trauma: his femur showed a healing fracture, and his tiny ribs had broken in several places. Specialists concluded these injuries most likely occurred through violent shaking or forceful squeezing—classic hallmarks of physical abuse in infants.
After the child’s death, the Marion County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy, ultimately ruling the infant’s death a homicide brought on by craniocerebral trauma. This grim conclusion underscored the tragic fate of a vulnerable life cut short before it could begin.
A witness later told police she had been in the home the morning the baby was found unresponsive. She reportedly overheard the child’s father, identified by authorities as 24-year-old Oliver Clayton Lee Young, angrily shouting at the infant to be quiet and taking him into the bathroom multiple times. She described hearing muffled cries from behind the door, raising further alarms for investigators.
Detectives searching Young’s phone discovered concerning activity on the day of the incident and in the days that followed. Evidence showed Young sought out advice online about long prison sentences and attempted to research ways to pass a polygraph test. Investigators also noted attempts to delete prior internet history.
Young now faces charges including neglect of a dependent resulting in death, aggravated battery of a person under 14, and domestic battery resulting in serious bodily injury. He remains in custody at the Huntington County Jail with bond set at $150,000, pending a pretrial conference scheduled for April 6.
The case remains a somber reminder of the pain inflicted on Indiana’s youngest and most defenseless residents, as authorities and the community seek justice for a child who never had a chance to grow.