Jaley Bush, an Iowa woman who claimed she woke up to find her infant son had "rolled" into a trash can and died, has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to child endangerment resulting in death and involuntary manslaughter.
Background
The tragic incident unfolded on Jan. 27 when Bush, then 28, was visiting a friend at his home on Hickory Terrace in Keokuk, Iowa. She had brought her infant son, identified as R.S., and the two were sleeping on a bed in a basement bedroom when authorities say they both "passed out."
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime, Bush awoke to discover her son "head first and unresponsive inside of a trash can next to the bed." She told investigators she believed the child had been sleeping "on the inside portion of the bed" before he apparently "crawled over or around her" and fell into the container.
Keokuk Police Department officers responded to the home at approximately 2 p.m. and immediately began lifesaving efforts on the infant. During their interaction with Bush, law enforcement noted she "exhibited signs of being under the influence of some form of narcotics as her demeanor was stoic and her speech appeared to be slurred."
Body-worn camera footage captured Bush telling officers at the scene: "He had rolled into the trash bag."
The Investigation
Investigators learned that before falling asleep that day, Bush had taken Klonopin, a sedative classified as a benzodiazepine. She told police she "did not know whom the pills belonged to," according to the criminal complaint.
The following day, authorities obtained a search warrant for Bush's blood sample. Testing revealed she was positive for both methamphetamine and benzodiazepines. Bush maintained that she had not taken any drugs from the time first responders arrived until her drug test was administered.
The infant was pronounced dead on Feb. 5. The Lee County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the cause of death as asphyxia—a lack of oxygen—consistent with suffocation.
The Sentencing
Bush pleaded guilty to child endangerment resulting in death and involuntary manslaughter charges in May. Earlier this week, she was sentenced to serve five years at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women, a facility designated for female offenders in the state.
Prosecutors argued that Bush's impairment from methamphetamine and benzodiazepines rendered her incapable of properly supervising her young child, directly contributing to the tragedy.
Key Takeaways
- Jaley Bush was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to child endangerment resulting in death and involuntary manslaughter
- The infant victim, identified as R.S., died on Feb. 5 after being found unresponsive in a trash can at a residence in Keokuk, Iowa
- Bush's blood tested positive for methamphetamine and benzodiazepines, including Klonopin, which she admitted to taking before falling asleep with her child
- She told investigators the baby had "rolled into the trash bag" while she was incapacitated
- The cause of death was ruled asphyxia by suffocation
What's Next
Bush will begin serving her sentence at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women. No further court proceedings are anticipated as Bush has completed her guilty plea and sentencing.