A 22-year-old mother from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for her role in the starvation death of her 3-week-old son, Dev’Kumar, in early 2024. Taryn L. Strait was convicted of felony neglect after pleading guilty to charges related to the infant’s death.
Her former partner, 27-year-old De’Varius D. Keys, also pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced next month. According to investigators, Strait and Keys primarily fed their newborn almond milk instead of infant formula and failed to take him to multiple scheduled medical appointments.
An autopsy revealed the baby weighed just 5 pounds, 4 ounces at the time of his death on February 1, 2024 — nearly a pound and a half less than at birth. The report noted that Dev’Kumar had sunken eyes and no food in his stomach. During sentencing, Dane County Assistant District Attorney Will Davis condemned Strait’s actions, saying, “When you become a parent, you put your own needs second.
You protect and nourish your child. Ms. Strait does none of those things.” Strait’s attorney, Paisley Hoffman, acknowledged the severity of the case but argued that her client’s judgment had been affected by years of abuse from Keys and her own mental health struggles. Hoffman told the court that Strait suffered from drug and alcohol addiction and had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
Circuit Judge Nicholas McNamara said he did not view Strait as an evil person but was disturbed by her indifference on the night her baby died. “You ordered food and had sex while the starving baby was there,” McNamara said. Through tears, Strait told the court she was sorry for her actions. “I realize my behavior was wrong,” she said.
“Dev’Kumar’s death will have a lot of impact on me for the rest of my life.” Court documents revealed that the couple had missed three postnatal appointments for the baby in Madison, prompting two reports of possible neglect to the Dane County Department of Human Services in late January 2024. Both reports were “screened out” and dismissed.
A state summary later confirmed that child welfare officials found “insufficient evidence” to substantiate neglect and made no referrals for additional support. Dane County Human Services spokesperson Tanya Andersen declined to comment, citing state privacy laws protecting involved families.
Under Wisconsin law, neglect includes failing to provide adequate care, food, or medical attention that endangers a child’s physical health. Strait’s sentencing brings to light questions about how oversight and intervention failed to prevent a tragedy that could have been avoided.