Mother charged after 2-month-old dies in Clinton hotel days after regaining custody

CLINTON, Miss. (WLBT) - A mother has been charged after an infant died at a Clinton hotel.

The Clinton Police Department was called to the Econo Lodge Tuesday morning where they found a 2-month-old dead.

According to the hotel manager, five people had been living in the hotel room for a month and a half.

The manager said that around 10:00 a.m., he heard the mom screaming from inside the room. Other neighbors also heard it and called 9-1-1.

Darla Luke has been charged with felony child neglect and the other children have been placed with a grandmother by the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services.

Luke was previously charged with misdemeanor child neglect on June 7, 2022, authorities say.

At some point between June 7 and June 21, CPS returned the children to her custody.

This case is still under investigation.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2022 WLBT. All rights reserved.