Editor’s note: The deceased child’s age has been corrected. She was 4 years old.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 4-year-old child found dead inside a home is the victim of homicide, according to the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s office.
Adair R. Fish, 43, is charged with multiple crimes, including abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death, abuse or neglect of a child, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the homicide.
According to court records, Kansas City police were dispatched to the area near St. John Avenue and Lawndale Avenue on Nov. 3 for a report of a dead 4-year-old child.
Officers found two children, one deceased and the other non-responsive.
FOX4 has learned Fish’s daughters were twins. KCPD said the surviving twin is now safe.
According to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, Fish was the legal guardian of the children and had care, custody and control of their health and wellbeing.
A person with firsthand knowledge of the children’s foster care told FOX4 just a couple of months after Fish regained custody, the girl’s behavior had noticeably changed.
The person said the twins were “not talking, dirty and different.”
The person said Fish had lost custody of her twins for nearly two years, but they were returned to her in November 2019.
Court documents show Fish was even ordered to pay child support in 2018 when her daughters were in foster care.
Court records show one of those girls was born with a genetic condition known as chromosome 18p deletion, which can cause developmental and growth deficiencies.
Court records go on to say when that twin was treated at the hospital last month, she gained just over 4 pounds in the almost 3-year period since her last weight in the hospital system.
The now 5-year-old’s weight placed her near the average expected weight of a 20-month-old.
In court paperwork, prosecutors said doctors told them the condition could affect the child’s nutrition, but it would not necessarily mean the child would be so small for their age.
Prosecutors have now asked the court to order a mental exam for Fish.
It’s not the first time Fish’s mental health has been in question in court.
In a 2015 case where she was accused of attacking a corrections officer, Fish underwent a court-ordered mental examination. At that time Fish was diagnosed with Unspecified Schizophrenia Spectrum and other Psychotic Disorder.
FOX4 did contact one of Fish’s family members who said they did not want to make a comment. We also sent a jail house request to the Jackson County Detention Center, to have the opportunity to speak with Fish.
Fish is scheduled to be back in court on Dec. 12 for a bond review hearing.
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