Indianapolis woman pleads guilty to neglect in death of malnourished 2-month-old daughter

A woman will serve prison time in connection with the death of her 2-month-old daughter, who was found "pale and lifeless" in a home on Indianapolis' near northside in 2017, according to court documents.

Documents show Janet Ringer, 28, was sentenced Tuesday to serve seven years behind bars. Under an agreement filed last month, Ringer pleaded guilty to one count of neglect.

Ringer and William Moss were both arrested last year on charges that they failed to provide their daughter, Ruth Ringer, with adequate food or drink.

Ruth died Aug. 21, 2017, of malnutrition and dehydration at her home in the 900 block of West 33rd Street, according to the Marion County Coroner's Office. 

The little girl was found in a bouncer seat on the floor of a sweltering upstairs bedroom, wearing a white onesie, court records state. She appeared "emaciated and frail."

The Indiana Department of Child Services faced scrutiny after Ruth's death, which occurred hours after four child welfare workers visited the infant's home. At least one of those workers expressed concern about the baby's well-being during the visit, but did not report it to authorities.

Carrie Upchurch, whose adoptive daughter is believed to be Ruth's sister, previously told IndyStar she had called DCS on three separate occasions to report concerns about the baby's safety.

After Ruth's death, Upchurch filed a complaint with the DCS Ombudsman Bureau — a separate agency that receives, investigates and attempts to resolve complaints over DCS actions. In it, Upchurch said she referenced her prior reports to DCS and concerns about what happened the day Ruth died.

Alfreda Singleton-Smith, director of the DCS Ombudsman Bureau, concluded DCS "failed to follow laws, rules and written policies as they pertain to the completion of assessments involving the child in question," according to a letter obtained by IndyStar. 

And she concluded that "DCS staff failed to report or follow up on other verbal concerns regarding the child through the appropriate available channels," according to the letter.

In a statement to IndyStar last year, DCS spokeswoman Noelle Russell said the agency "mourn(s) Ruth’s loss along with our community." Russell referred to this statement when reached Tuesday by IndyStar.

Court records show Moss is scheduled to stand trial on a neglect charge next month in the case. IndyStar left a message Tuesday for his attorney.

USA Today reporter Marisa Kwiatkowski contributed to this report.

Contact IndyStar reporter Crystal Hill at 317-444-6094 or cnhill@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @crysnhill.