Jury Trial Opens for Indianapolis Mother Accused in Death of 5‑Year‑Old

Overview

• Prosecutors opened the jury trial Monday with first responders and forensic witnesses called to lay out the state's case against Toni McClure.
• The autopsy pathologist testified that Kinsleigh weighed 21 pounds at death and jurors viewed photos showing a virtually skeletal body, patchy hair with lice, and fecal matter on her feet.
• Police say McClure admitted she had kept Kinsleigh locked in a closet for months and an IMPD detective described a strong smell of feces when the closet was opened.
• Two co-defendants, McClure's then-boyfriend Ryan Smith and her mother Tammy Halsey, accepted plea deals and are expected to testify for the prosecution.
• The defense has signaled a strategy blaming family influence for McClure's conduct and the trial's outcome could affect how local authorities handle child-abuse reporting and prosecutions.