A North Carolina couple has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of their three-month-old daughter from severe malnutrition and dehydration in May. Kendal Lee Hayes and Glenn John Delgreco II were indicted after an investigation determined that the infant died from caregiver neglect, with authorities finding that the baby had lost approximately one-third of her body weight since birth. The charges were initially filed as felony child abuse in June but were later upgraded to first-degree murder. The case is significant as it demonstrates the serious criminal consequences that can result from severe parental neglect of an infant's basic needs.

The baby died on 13 May after deputies were called to the family home and CPR was performed; she was pronounced dead at Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as protein-calorie malnutrition resulting from caregiver neglect, with investigators finding that the infant had not received sufficient food or fluids despite showing significant signs of medical distress. The baby's grandparents, Alice Loraine Evans and Thomas Virgil Evans, also face felony child abuse charges as they shared the home and responsibility for the infant's care. Hayes and Delgreco were denied bond at Iredell County Detention Center and are scheduled for arraignment on 21 September.