Background: Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Ind. (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Nicolas Arnett and Shelby Langford (Madison County Prosecutor's Office).
An Indiana couple whose baby died after sustaining multiple traumatic injuries has been sentenced to decades behind bars.
Nicolas Arnett, 29, and Shelby Langford, 24, were convicted of neglect of a dependent resulting in catastrophic injury or death in December 2025 following a jury trial. On Monday, both heard their sentences, just shy of two years since they were arrested in connection with the fatal injuries sustained by their 17-month-old daughter Kamryn. Arnett was sentenced to 40 years in prison and Langford was sentenced to 38 years.
According to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, Arnett and Langford called 911 on Dec. 5, 2023, and reported that Kamryn, then 10 months old, was struggling to breathe. When the baby arrived at the hospital, medical staff noticed several injuries on the little girl and called the police.
Medical staff told police that the baby had several bruises all over her body that were in "different stages of healing." Her body temperature was low — 90.8 degrees Fahrenheit — and her blood sugar was extremely high. Arnett had suggested that the baby's condition was related to an infection she had been diagnosed with weeks before. He also said Kamryn could be anemic, and mentioned that the couple's 3-year-old was "rough" with her.
Police said that a doctor who treated Kamryn found evidence that the little girl had an "old fracture" on her spine. The same doctor told police that Arnett and Langford were providing conflicting stories.
According to the affidavit, police spoke to Arnett and Langford after Kamryn was transferred to the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. The couple said Kamryn was in a back brace being treated for "a severe spinal and head injury." The baby was also diagnosed with "slipped discs by her hip," which would prevent her from walking, and suffered a stroke and four seizures.
Langford denied that she harmed Kamryn, telling police that since she and Arnett lost another baby in 2021, she treated Kamryn like "a porcelain baby doll" out of precaution. Both Arnett and Langford cited an alleged scuffle with Arnett's mother and sister, after which the sister landed on top of the baby. The sister said she did not remember landing on the baby.
When the Department of Children's Services spoke to police about its findings, the department said Kamryn's injuries were "traumatic" rather than due to an accident or medical condition. Arnett and Langford were arrested and charged with neglect of a dependent in March 2024.
Kamryn died in September 2024, according to the Madison County Prosecutor's Office.
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