Dacia Lacey: Internet fumes as Indiana mom walks free after admitting to smothering 10-month-old daughter

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: An Indianapolis mother was acquitted after being charged with neglecting her infant daughter after police were called to a Burton Avenue home in August 2022 to find the infant unconscious.

Baby Alona Lacey died in the hospital and Dacia Lacey was charged with her daughter’s murder in January 2023. In his ruling, Judge Mark Stoner said Dacia Lacey “was not innocent” and “was a bad parent.”

Dacia Lacey walks free after being charged with involuntary manslaughter

The judge found Lacey not guilty of neglect resulting in death even though he thought she was guilty of involuntary manslaughter because she wasn't charged with that crime, FOX 59 reported.

According to court documents, the mother made a long confession in which she sobbed and acknowledged that, while high on meth, she smothered her daughter in the couch cushions to get some rest.

Lacey has always insisted that her child's death within the house was an accident and that she had no intention of killing him. Judge Stoner reprimanded Lacey after her trial, calling her actions careless.

Stoner, however, maintained that the prosecution had not shown that she had hurt her daughter on purpose. Stoner informed the prosecutors that the suspect was accused of the wrong crime.

The judge reluctantly found Lacey not guilty because being a bad parent isn't illegal, even though April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and there are lessons about risky parenting practices that can be learned from the case.

The suspect has been released from custody; if found guilty, she could have served a sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison. Following the decision, attorneys for both sides chose not to comment.

Internet slams judge after Dacia Lacey acquitted  

After the trial video of Dacia Lacey went viral on platform X, the internet slammed the judge for not punishing the mother. A user wrote, "This is beyond ridiculous. If this woman was white she would’ve got life in prison. There’s no justification for this leniency. Also, the judge’s last name is 'Stoner'? This case is nonsense. The judge should be legally removed from the bench. He’s clearly unfit to serve."

Another user demanded, "Throw this judge in jail along with this soulless lady."

The third commentator mentioned, "Didn’t do enough to prove? How about the fact that she’s high on meth with a child enough?"

"Sadly there is more truth to that than feared. When the value of any life is lessened then the value of all life is lessened," a fourth user added.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.