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Couple Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter for Child’s Death

UPDATE 09-19-18: LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — A local couple charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of children in the death of their son ...

UPDATE 09-19-18: LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- A local couple charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of children in the death of their son more than a year ago was sentenced in Clinton County Court on Monday.

Steven Allen Killion Sr., 37, and Toni Baker, 37, were each sentenced to 16 months to 10 years on the manslaughter charge and nine months to five years on the endangerment charge to be served consecutively at a state correctional facility.

LOCK HAVEN -- A 2-year-old child is dead and his parents are locked up, accused of manslaughter.

According to court papers, the father gave the toddler a plastic bag filled with cereal before bed. The parents told police they usually take the bag from the child when they check on him later in the evening but that night back in May of 2017, they forgot to do it.

Toni Baker and her husband Steven Killion face charges including involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of children.

Parents Charged After Toddler Suffocates

According to court papers, the couple lived in Lock Haven with their three children. Back in May, they found their 2-year-old son Steven Jr. lying on his bedroom floor with a plastic bag over his head. The child died at the hospital.

Charles Wagner remembers the day it happened. He had just moved into the apartment complex on East Church Street a few weeks before.

"The cops were here over Apartment 6 but we didn't know why they were there," Wagner recalled.

Court papers say the child's father sent his toddler to bed with a gallon sized Ziploc bag full of cereal.

The parents told police they normally take the bag from the child when the check on him later in the evening, but that night they forgot.

"When she found out it was the 2-year-old, why it's shocking," said Wagner.

Police say Killion heard his son playing upstairs around 7 a.m. next morning and also heard Baker's severely autistic 14-year-old son banging his head on the wall.

Court papers say Killion went back to bed and didn't check on the kids for another hour. That's when he discovered the toddler wasn't breathing. Baker called 911 and tried to revive the child before he was taken to the hospital.

According to Lock Haven police, they found dried feces on the wall and window of one of the children's bedrooms and bite marks on the blinds.

"It's terrible that they let something like that happen. They should have known better," Wagner said.

Toni Baker and Steven Killion are both locked up in Clinton County on $125,000 bail.

Police say the couple's two other children are being cared for.

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