A Kyle woman is facing two federal charges of first-degree murder and felony child abuse and neglect more than a year after the death of her baby.
The Nov. 18, 2021 grand jury indictment alleges Billie Jean Red Owl, 34, caused the death of her daughter, Kayza Jean Red Owl, by engaging in a pattern of child abuse, including failing to provide sufficient food, hydration and medical care to Kayza, who died 10 days before she would have turned three months old.
The indictment states the abuse lasted the entirety of the baby’s life, from June 26, 2020 to Sept. 16, 2020. Kayza’s name is redacted from the indictment, but her obituary is public.
The second count, felony child abuse and neglect, accuses Red Owl of knowingly abusing, exposing, torturing, tormenting and cruelly punishing Kayza by failing to provide proper parental care, subjecting her to an environment which was injurious to her welfare, and failing and refusing to provide proper and necessary subsistence, supervision, medical care and any other care necessary for her health, guidance and well-being.
Law enforcement arrested Red Owl on June 13 on a federal warrant. Red Owl and her defense consented to her continued detainment pending trial on the grounds she is a risk to the community and there is a serious risk she would not appear in court.
If convicted of the crimes, Red Owl faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine, or both. She is currently in custody at the Pennington County Jail. Red Owl's jury trial is scheduled to start Nov. 18. The deadline for reaching a plea deal is Sept. 30.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama is prosecuting the case, and Alecia Fuller is Red Owl's defense attorney.
Kayza’s father, Chester Apple, 39, also of Kyle, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on June 24 for distributing meth over a six-year period.
