Dubois County Mother Pleads Guilty to Child Neglect Charges

Kiona Kunkler, 31, of Jasper pleaded guilty to two counts of neglect of a dependent in Dubois Circuit Court after her 11-month-old son was found locked in the family vehicle for up to seven hours, authorities said. Acting Judge Karen Werner accepted the plea, and Kunkler was sentenced under a plea agreement that the Dubois County Free Press confirmed closed the case.

The morning began when the child's mother called 911 around 8:40 a.m. to report her child had not been seen since the night before. Officers arriving at the residence searched the property and located the child inside the family vehicle, which was parked on the street near the home in the 400 block of West 6th Street. Jasper Police believed the child had been in the vehicle for up to seven hours. First responders transported the boy to the hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and dehydration. He is now in the care of family members, along with his older sister.

Detectives determined criminal negligence had occurred, likely due to intoxication, and a search of the residence resulted in the discovery of drug paraphernalia and a Schedule II controlled substance. Both Kunkler and Cody Christensen, 36, were taken into custody and booked into the Dubois County Security Center on preliminary charges of neglect of a dependent, possession of paraphernalia, and possession of a Schedule II substance.

According to court records, Kunkler pleaded guilty to two counts of neglect of a dependent and was sentenced to 545 days, with 180 days suspended to probation and the remaining time eligible to be served under home detention. Christensen's case had already resolved: he pleaded guilty late last year to several charges, including neglect, possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, and possession of a controlled substance, and was sentenced to 16 years with the Indiana Department of Corrections.

Upon arrival at the scene in February 2025, both parents showed signs of intoxication. "We highly suspect drugs and alcohol were involved," said Lt. Brescher of the Jasper Police Department. Investigators noted that the parents "made statements that the child had been with them the night before and when they woke up, the child was gone." Lt. Brescher added, "We believe the child didn't leave the house on his own and that one of the parents placed him in the van."

The Jasper Police Department was assisted on scene by the Dubois County Sheriff's Office, Deaconess Memorial EMS, and the Indiana Department of Child Services.

The Dubois County Free Press confirmed that Kunkler's guilty plea was accepted in Dubois Circuit Court before Acting Judge Karen Werner, that she was sentenced according to the plea agreement, and that the case is now closed. Christensen's 16-year sentence with the Indiana Department of Corrections stands as one of the steeper outcomes in a case that began with a frantic 911 call and ended with a toddler hospitalized for hypothermia just blocks from home.