Two Booneville Residents Arrested After Infant Found Dead on Lewis Lane

Two Booneville residents, identified as Deeann (spelled variably in records) Bennett, 27, and Charles Bennett, 32, were taken into custody this week following a year-long investigation into the death of an infant found outside a Lewis Lane residence.

The Kentucky State Police say the probe began when Post 7 in Richmond received a 911 call just before 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 29, 2024 about a woman who had been transported to a local hospital reporting a possible miscarriage. The agency wrote, "While at the hospital, the couple advised the infant was still at the residence on Lewis Lane in Booneville. Troopers, along with detectives responded to the residence." Troopers and detectives located an unresponsive infant over an embankment outside the home. Owsley County Coroner Rob Morgan pronounced the infant deceased at the scene, and the body was transported to the Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort for autopsy.

The investigation was led by KSP Post 7 Detective Anthony Bowling with assistance from Kentucky State Police personnel and the Owsley County Coroner's Office. Public affairs officer Trooper Justin Kearney said, "After a year-long investigation, public affairs officer trooper Justin Kearney with the Kentucky State Police says two individuals were arrested Monday after indictments were issued in January."

Booking records show both Deeann/Deann Bennett and Charles Bennett are lodged at the Three Forks Regional Jail. Public reports list a slate of charges: Deeann/Deann Bennett is reported to face reckless homicide, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and concealing the birth of an infant. Charles Bennett is reported to face reckless homicide and a charge described in some accounts as concealing the birth of an infant. Some reports use the alternate phrasing "concealing the death of an infant." Those differences in wording are legally significant and will be resolved by the formal indictment and charging documents.

For a small county like Owsley, a case involving an infant and homicide allegations resonates beyond crime statistics. Lewis Lane is part of a tight-knit community where neighbors know one another and news travels fast. The combination of a hospital call that began the probe, a year-long investigation and criminal indictments has left local residents seeking clarity on what happened, what evidence the investigation produced and when the Medical Examiner will release cause and manner of death.

Authorities have not released autopsy findings, and further details from charging documents or booking records remain necessary to confirm the exact language of indictments, the correct spelling of Deeann/Deann Bennett's name in official filings and the precise arrest date. What comes next for residents is a sequence of legal steps: autopsy results, arraignments and publicly scheduled court proceedings that should shed light on the evidence prosecutors presented to the grand jury. In the meantime, local leaders and law enforcement will face community pressure for answers and for steps that protect children and families in Owsley County.