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A strange situation at a Michigan motel has parents dead but their baby girl is still alive.
By Leah Scher — Written on May 30, 2019
Skylah Rae, the six-month-old baby of Jessica Bramer, 26, and Christian Reed, 28, was found alive but severely dehydrated after spending several days alone in a Michigan motel room beside the corpses of her parents, according to police. There were no signs of forced entry or foul play. Who are Jessica Bramer and Christian Reed?
What do we know of this bizarre situation?
1. Drug paraphernalia was present, but no signs of overdose
The release states that there was drug paraphernalia in the Rodeway Inn room, but the autopsy performed on Bramer and Reed didn’t immediately indicate any particular definite cause of death. We’ll need another 30 days before the toxicology results are returned to confirm this, though.
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2. The couple had been in and out of jail
According to family members, the couple was in and out of jail before they settled in this motel room for a week. Apparently, though, the baby’s grandparents contacted Children’s Protective Services in January out of concern for her welfare.
3. They were found because of a welfare check
Shortly before noon on Friday, a state trooper was sent to the Rodeway Inn on E. Colby Street near US-31 in Whitehall Township for a wellfare check. “The case is ongoing with several investigative angles being pursued,” Michigan State Police said in a statement according to MLive.
4. The baby could have been alone in the room for as long as three days before she was found
Skylah was was immediately transported to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. She’s in critical condition, but they expect her to make a full recovery. It’s still unknown who’ll take custody of her after she’s released.
If by some rare circumstance you had any contact with either Bramer or Reed after May 14th, Michigan State Police are asking that you contact Detective Sgt. Denise Bentley at 616-866-4411 with details.
Leah Scher is an ENFP finishing her degree at Brandeis University. She's an alumna of the Kenyon Review Young Writer's Workshop the Iowa Young Writers' Studio. She's passionate about Judaism, poetry, film, satire, astrology, spirituality, and sexual health. She draws inspiration for her writing from writer/director Wes Anderson, and for her lifestyle from her grandmother. Lastly, she's always actively seeking two things: a job having anything at all to do with publishing, and a chance to meet Jesse Eisenberg.