The owners of the home, Mark and Tracy Stidham, say they did nothing toharm Bailey Tippett. 4-month-old infant found dead Wednesday. MarkStidham, the husband of day care manager, Tracy Stidham, told WRAL thathis wife was extremely sorry she left the infant alone with her12-year-old daughter and six other children, including the Stidhams'3-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, while she ran errands.
Tracy Stidham's day care center at 7425 Longstreet Drive has been closeddown pending the results of a police investigation. Stidham says she wasin the process of filing for a proper day care center when the incidenthappened.
According to a search warrant, "The child appeared to have suffered atrauma, specifically an injury to the skull and a discoloring around theeyes." A preliminary autopsy confirmed the nature of the injury.
State and county child protection officials interviewed the Stidham's attheir house for more than a hour.
Neighbor Roslyn Fowler said her daughter went over to the Stidham's daycare to help with the children, but never noticed anything unusual.
"My daughter would go over there sometimes and help her with the kids, but my daughter never said anything bad about her or that she mistreatedher child," Fowler said.
Seven-year-old Nicholas Silver was one of seven children inside the daycare when Bailey's body was discovered. Silver's mother, Cassandra, saysher son phoned her during all of the commotion. She could hear a womancrying in the background.
For information about child care centers, call the Child Care Resource andReferral Center at 919-571-6659.
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