UPDATE: Stephanie Tillman made her first court appearance Monday morning. Her bond was reduced from $100,000 to $10,000 secured and Scott Hudson was appointed as her court appointed attorney.
She is scheduled to be in court again January 12.
LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C.– Lincoln County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating the death of a sixth-month-old boy Christmas Eve night.
Emergency crews responded to the 1700 block of Temple Lane in Dallas around 11:45 p.m. Christmas Eve, after Jerry Allen called 9-1-1 saying he found his six-month-old son unresponsive when he got home from work. He said his six-month-old was naked and alone on the living room sofa.
According to investigators, Allen told them he found his wife, 30-year-old Stephanie Amber Tillman, in bed with their other two children, ages three and four. The children were awake and naked when found.
Lincoln County EMS confirmed that the sixth-month-old was deceased.
The medical examiner who responded to the scene could not find injuries or a cause of death and ordered an autopsy to be performed Monday.
Investigators say the home was filthy from human and animal waste and garbage. Lincoln County DSS took custody of the children at the scene. They were later turned over to family member for their care and custody.
EMS treated Tillman at the scene for injuries she received two days earlier after an assault and what they say appears to be extreme intoxication from prescribed medication. She was transported to CHS-Lincoln for further treatment and was released two hours later and then arrested by detectives.
Tillman is charged with three misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency and neglect by parents and three misdemeanor counts of child abuse.
Tillman is in the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center under a $100,000 secured bond and her first court appearance is scheduled for December 28.
The investigation is ongoing and there may be additional charges based on the results of the autopsy and other forensic test results.
No further information has been released at this time.
