The state of Indiana has been shaken by a case that has sparked deep outrage and raised questions about the protection of minors suffering from chronic illnesses. Brent Bredhold has been found guilty of neglect of a dependent resulting in death in connection with the passing of his 12-year-old daughter, Alice, who died on July 4, 2024, due to severe complications related to untreated Type 1 diabetes. The man now faces up to 40 years in prison.
According to court testimony, the girl was found unresponsive in her bedroom at the family's home in Evansville. Investigators determined that, in the days leading up to the tragedy, she had shown dangerously uncontrolled blood-sugar levels, repeatedly flagged by teachers and school health staff.
A school nurse had recorded 44 blood-sugar readings above 300 mg/dL and 14 readings exceeding 600 mg/dL extremely dangerous levels that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), indicate a critically poor management of diabetes. Authorities had already alerted child protective services, but their intervention proved insufficient to prevent the fatal outcome.
During the trial, Prosecutor Winston Lin stressed that the parents had ignored both medical recommendations and the advice of a pediatric psychologist who had been consulted after previous hospitalizations. He explained that a child is not capable of understanding the importance of strict daily management of the disease, making it the caregivers' duty to ensure continuous monitoring and treatment.
Lin described Alice's death as "predictable under the circumstances a shocking but not surprising event," emphasizing what he called prolonged and conscious negligence.
Defense attorney Dawnya Taylor, representing the Bredhold family, argued that prosecutors may have led the jury to believe that the 39-year-old was a single father, when in fact he lived with his wife, Ashley Marie, who is also under investigation. Taylor added that her client worked as a railroad employee, a job that often kept him away from home for more than two days at a time, making it difficult for him to manage his daughter's condition directly.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 23, while Ashley Marie Bredhold, 39, will face a separate trial in February 2026 on identical charges.
The Bredhold case is not only a family tragedy but also a wake-up call for health and education institutions. Experts warn that childhood diabetes, if not properly monitored, can become fatal within hours. In several U.S. states, similar cases have prompted authorities to strengthen reporting protocols between schools, medical professionals, and social services.