SMYRNA, TN — Police in Smyrna and state agencies are investigating the death of an infant at a Lake Farm Road home, and officials are also examining whether child care operations were taking place at the address. Smyrna police said officers responded to a medical call at 606 Lake Farm Road on Aug. 29 after being called to the residence for the infant’s death.
The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services confirmed it is involved in the child death investigation. Police have not released the infant’s name, age or cause of death, and no arrests have been made.
Officers responded to a medical call at 606 Lake Farm Road on Aug. 29
The city of Smyrna said the response began as a medical call. That call led officers to the home at 606 Lake Farm Road, where the infant death was confirmed.
Officials have not said what medical issue prompted the call or what circumstances surrounded the child’s death. The investigation remains open, with police and state agencies working to determine what happened at the residence.
Police have also not identified anyone publicly in connection with the case. As of the latest update, investigators had not announced any arrests or criminal charges.
State agencies are looking at whether the home was operating as an illegal daycare
According to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, one part of the investigation is whether the address was being used for an illegal daycare operation. DCS said it is participating in the child death investigation, but it declined to share additional details because of state and federal confidentiality laws.
The agency also said the Tennessee Department of Human Services handles child care licensing and inspections. DCS directed questions about any child care operator connected to the home to TDHS.
That distinction matters because investigators are trying to understand both the death itself and any services that may have been offered at the residence.
Officials have released few details about the infant or the cause of death
Police have not provided the infant’s identity, age or cause of death. They also have not described whether emergency personnel attempted life-saving measures before the child was pronounced dead.
The lack of basic identifying information suggests the investigation is still in an early stage. Officials have not said whether the child lived at the home, whether the residence was occupied by a family or caregiver, or how many people were present when officers arrived.
For now, investigators are treating the case as both a death investigation and a review of what was happening at the property.
Child care licensing questions have been referred to the Tennessee Department of Human Services
FOX 17 News said it contacted TDHS for information about whether a child care operation was linked to the address and said it would update the story when officials provide more details. DCS said TDHS is the agency responsible for licensing and inspecting child care providers.
That means any question about whether the home was registered, inspected or otherwise approved for child care would fall under a separate state process from the death investigation itself. Officials have not yet said whether the home had any license or compliance history.
Until TDHS responds, the status of any child care business at the property remains unclear.
Police say no arrests have been made as the case remains open
As of the latest information released by police, no arrests have been made. Investigators are still working to understand the circumstances of the infant’s death and whether any legal violations occurred at the residence.
The case involves local police and state child welfare agencies, and it may also involve child care regulators depending on what investigators find about the property. For now, officials are withholding most details while the inquiry continues.
Police have not said when they expect to release additional information. The investigation into the death and any operations at the home is continuing.
Local stories that matter, from GHS The Student.
