10-Month-Old Girl Tragically Passes Away In Kentucky, Grandma’s Role Sparks Controversy
A 10-month-old Kentucky girl died after spending roughly eight hours inside a scorching vehicle outside the medical facility where her grandmother worked, authorities said.
Scottie Gwyn Crowell was discovered strapped into her car seat in the back of her grandmother’s vehicle on Aug. 13, according to police. The car was parked outside Owensboro Health Multicare in Madisonville, Kentucky, where the grandmother, 61-year-old Dr. Stacey Fazenbaker, was working that day.
Authorities said Fazenbaker had volunteered that morning to take Scottie to daycare. Instead, investigators say, she drove to work and apparently failed to realize the infant remained in the vehicle.
The child’s father went to the daycare around 4 p.m. to collect his daughter, only to learn that Scottie had never arrived that morning. Family members then discovered the baby was still inside Fazenbaker’s car.
Outside temperatures reportedly climbed to about 95 degrees, while the temperature inside the vehicle reached approximately 115 degrees.
Madisonville Police Major Jason McKnight said Fazenbaker rushed outside with coworkers after the discovery, but the child could not be saved. Officers also attempted emergency lifesaving measures after arriving at the scene.
The circumstances surrounding the death remain under investigation, and authorities have not filed criminal charges against Fazenbaker at this time.
Police said the grandmother underwent testing for alcohol and drugs, although investigators do not currently expect those tests to produce positive results. McKnight said prosecutors could potentially pursue charges later if the investigation establishes sufficient evidence.
An autopsy is expected to provide additional information regarding the official cause of Scottie’s death.
The tragedy has devastated the Crowell family. Fazenbaker had reportedly relocated to Madisonville approximately a year earlier so she could live closer to her daughter, Sydni Crowell, a 33-year-old OB-GYN.
Scottie was the second child of her parents and was born Sept. 20, 2025, following in vitro fertilization, according to reports.
Her family members have shared emotional tributes following the little girl’s death.
Emmy Fazenbaker, Scottie’s aunt and a sports reporter at Middle Tennessee State University, remembered the infant in a social media tribute, writing that the family loved their “sweet baby girl.”
The heartbreaking case has once again underscored the potentially deadly conditions that can develop inside parked vehicles during hot weather. Even when outdoor temperatures may appear merely uncomfortable, the interior of a vehicle can heat rapidly, creating an extremely dangerous environment for a child.
For Scottie’s family, however, the warnings surrounding hot cars are now painfully personal as investigators work to determine exactly how the infant was left behind and whether additional legal action will follow.
