Parents of child allegedly killed by daycare provider sue state investigators

The parents of an infant who police allege was killed by a daycare provider are now suing state officials over their initial handling of the investigation.

Timmeri and Rylee Reeves of Madison County are suing former Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Director Kelly Garcia, as well as DHHS child-protection workers Wyatt Towne and Sadie Rhamy, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agent Beth Miller, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.

The couple alleges that while their four-month-old son, Beau, “lay dying in the hospital, government officials prevented them from being at the child’s bedside,” then coerced them into consenting to the temporary removal of their daughter from their home and then failed to return their daughter even they were cleared of any wrongdoing.

According to the lawsuit, on Oct. 8, 2024, at roughly 8:15 a.m., Timmeri Reeves dropped off her son, Beau, and her 3-year-old daughter, identified in court records as “R.R.,” with an unlicensed child-care provider, Melissa Hancock, in Warren County.

About noon that day, Hancock allegedly called 911 to report that Beau was unresponsive with froth coming from his mouth and nose. Beau was transported to a hospital for emergency treatment, but shortly after his arrival, the Reeves were informed by a physician their son has sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and that when paramedics arrived at the daycare, he had no heartbeat and later showed no signs of brain activity.

The lawsuit alleges the hospital staff were instructed by DHHS officials to bar anyone, including Beau’s parents, from visiting with the child. “Timmeri and Rylee begged staff to let them see their dying son, who was 30 feet away,” the lawsuit alleges. “Timmeri and Rylee were told that hospital staff were directed by DHHS, led by Rhamy, and the DCI, led by Miller, that they were not allowed to see their son.”

The following day, the lawsuit claims, the Reeveses were approached by Rhamy and Towne, who asked them to formally consent to the temporary removal of R.R. from their home pending the completion of a criminal investigation into the cause of the injuries sustained by Beau.

“Rhamy and Towne threatened to never let Timmeri and Rylee see R.R. again if they refused to consent,” the lawsuit alleges, adding that Rhamy and Towne also asserted it was the Reeves’ duty, as parents, to “prove why you should have access to your children.”

The Reeveses gave their consent for temporary removal, and the next day, Oct. 10, R.R. was removed and placed in the home of Amanda Farlow of Madison County. The lawsuit claims that soon after, Farlow alleged R.R. was exhibiting signs of mental health issues that DHHS allegedly failed to address.

On Oct. 12, 2024, Beau was pronounced dead. About that same time, the lawsuit alleges, DHHS and the DCI had formed a multidisciplinary team to coordinate some aspects of the investigation of Beau’s death. On Oct. 28, the lawsuit alleges, the team “unanimously agreed that Timmeri and Rylee were not the perpetrators of Beau’s injuries.”

According to the lawsuit, the team documented its conclusion with a written statement that said, “The overall timeline was discussed and all parties involved agreed that based on this it would reassure the parents not being the perpetrators … All parties present agreed that these injuries would have occurred after that time that Beau was dropped off at daycare.”

Despite that finding, the lawsuit claims, DHHS retained legal custody of R.R. The girl’s grandfather then had “multiple conversations with Director Garcia” expressing concerns that nothing was being done by DHHS to return R.R. to her parents, the lawsuit alleges.

Child returned home; murder charge filed

In early November 2024, the Reeveses filed a court action seeking to revoke their consent to temporary removal, noting that “both parents have been ruled out as suspects in Beau’s injuries and subsequent death.”

The state contested that move and sought a court-issued order authorizing the removal of R.R. from her parents’ home, arguing “none of the individuals that were caregivers of (Beau) in the days leading up to Oct. 8, 2024, have been ruled out as suspects.”

The lawsuit asserts the state’s court filings also suggested the Reeveses were responsible for Beau’s injuries, stating R.R.’s continued removal from the home was in part because Beau had died “as a result of violent and traumatic injuries.”

Those claims were made despite the previous findings that “it was not medically possible” for the Reeves to have caused Beau’s injuries, the lawsuit asserts.  “At no time did DHHS or DCI inform the District Court of the multidisciplinary team’s unanimous conclusion that Timmeri and Rylee were not responsible for Beau’s injuries,” the lawsuit alleges.

On Nov. 15, 2024, the state’s application for the continued removal of R.R. was “abruptly dropped,” the lawsuit alleges, and DHHS allowed the girl to return home. The lawsuit alleges that Miller, in conversation with R.R.’s grandfather, admitted it had been her “personal call” to block DHHS from returning R.R. to her parents.

The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages for alleged violations of the Reeves’ constitutional rights. Attorneys for state say they do not comment on pending litigation and have yet to file a response to the lawsuit.

In February 2025, Hancock, 52, was charged with first-degree murder. She has pleaded not guilty to the charge and a trial is currently scheduled for Feb. 24, 2027.

Police allege Hancock was Beau’s “sole caregiver” the day he died and that within hours of being placed in her care the child sustained a traumatic skull fracture, bilateral retinal hemorrhaging and spinal trauma consistent with blunt-force trauma.

According to the police report, “medical professionals identified both new and healing injuries to the victim’s head, neck, and spine, indicating a pattern of prior abuse.” Contemporaneous text messages from Hancock, police allege, “expressed irritation with the victim, and her conduct reflects a callous disregard for his wellbeing.”