Grand jury indicts foster mother in infant's death

Osborne was indicted for involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct in the death of Jessica, who was in foster care at the Osborne home at the time of the incident. Jessica died of heat stroke after Osborne left her in a van at their home on Hwy. 334 in Nicholson.

Osborne had returned home around 2 p.m. Sept. 2 and taken two 3-year-old children into the house, leaving Jessica in the closed van. Around 5 p.m., Osborne awoke from a nap and realized the baby was still in the vehicle. She found the baby unresponsive and called 911, according to authorities.

The child’s body temperature was above 108 degrees when tested at BJC Medical Center later that day. Two other foster children in the home, both teenagers, were taken by DFACS to another location after the incident.

Osborne had been active in foster care in the county and had helped train new foster parents.

Jessica had been temporarily removed from the care of her birth mother and the family had been working to regain custody at the time of the incident.

A drug test on Osborne came back negative in October. The foster parent said she had been sick with strep throat at the time of the incident and was taking medication.