Deputies say 4-year-old Cassie Owens was in cardiac arrest after being deprived of proper nutrition.

TRAVELERS REST, S.C. — Two adults who were caring for a 4-year-old girl in Greenville County have been charged with homicide by child abuse after deputies said the child was found unresponsive and later died.

Nancy Dianne West, 42, and Bradley Kyle Craig, 46, were arrested after a death investigation that began April 24 at a home on Chinquapin Road in Travelers Rest. The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said Cassie Cheryl Ann Owens was in cardiac arrest when emergency crews responded. The case now sits with prosecutors after both defendants were denied bond and booked into the Greenville County Detention Center.

The first public stage of the case began with a 911 call from the 1300 block of Chinquapin Road, a residential area north of Greenville. Deputies said the call reported an unresponsive child. First responders went to the home and Cassie was taken to a local hospital. She was later pronounced dead. Sheriff’s officials said the investigation that followed found West and Craig had “deprived the child of proper nutrition.” The department did not release a full medical timeline, and officials have not said how long they believe the alleged deprivation had been going on before the emergency call.

Cassie was identified in local reports and obituary notices as Cassie Cheryl Ann Owens, born May 23, 2021. She died April 24, less than one month before her fifth birthday. Public obituary information listed her as a Greenville child with surviving parents, siblings, grandparents, an aunt and cousins. Family notices described grief around her death but did not include details about the criminal investigation. The funeral home listing drew messages from people who said the loss was heartbreaking. Those public memorial notes became one of the few places where Cassie was described outside the court and police record.

Deputies have described West and Craig as Cassie’s legal guardians at the time of her death. That point became part of the public record after state officials clarified that legal guardianship is not the same as being a licensed foster parent through the South Carolina Department of Social Services. The agency said, “The individuals in question in the death of the four-year-old in Greenville County have never been licensed foster parents in the State of South Carolina through the Department of Social Services.” The sheriff’s office had earlier used language that led to confusion about their status. The correction left the central allegation unchanged: investigators say the child died while in their care.

The arrest announcement came after what local officials described as a lengthy death investigation. In child death cases, investigators often review medical records, emergency response reports, witness statements, home conditions and prior contacts with authorities before charges are filed. In this case, authorities have released only a narrow account of the evidence. They have not published an autopsy report, a full cause and manner of death statement, or a detailed affidavit laying out the alleged conduct by each defendant. The sheriff’s office said both adults were charged with homicide by child abuse, a South Carolina charge that can apply when abuse or neglect leads to a child’s death.

A prior call to the same home also became part of local reporting. Deputies had investigated an alleged assault at the Chinquapin Road address on March 28, 2025. In that earlier matter, Craig reportedly admitted striking a child twice in the back of the head with his hand. Authorities have not confirmed whether the child in that earlier report was Cassie. That uncertainty remains important because the public record does not yet show whether prosecutors will try to use the prior report as context, evidence of notice, or proof of a pattern. It also is not clear whether that earlier investigation led to any court action at the time.

The criminal cases moved quickly after the June arrests. West and Craig were taken into custody at their Travelers Rest home by members of the sheriff’s Fugitive Apprehension Specialized Investigations Team. They appeared for bond proceedings and were denied bond, leaving them in jail while the case moved toward the solicitor’s office. Court records cited in local reporting show Craig has prior assault and battery charges, but the available reports do not say whether those cases are connected to this investigation. Prosecutors will decide how to present the homicide by child abuse charges in circuit court and whether any additional charges or filings are warranted.

The setting of the case is a road on the northern side of Greenville County, near the foothills communities that connect Travelers Rest, Greenville and Pickens County. The home address became a focus because the emergency response, arrests and earlier assault allegation all tied back to the same location. Investigators have not said whether other children were present at the home when Cassie was found unresponsive. They also have not said who called 911, who was inside the home when first responders arrived, or what statements West and Craig gave to deputies after the child was taken to the hospital.

Local coverage also raised questions about how Cassie came to be in the defendants’ care. DSS said West and Craig were not licensed foster parents. The sheriff’s office said they were legal guardians. Public records reviewed in local reports showed West and Craig were married in 2021. Beyond those points, officials have not released guardianship records, family court orders, or any statement explaining when Cassie was placed with them. Those documents may remain sealed or restricted because they involve a child. The distinction matters in the public account because licensed foster placements and private or court-ordered guardianships can involve different oversight, reporting duties and support systems.

The case now turns on evidence that has not yet been made public. Prosecutors would have to show that the defendants’ alleged actions or failures caused Cassie’s death under South Carolina law. Defense attorneys, if appointed or retained, could challenge the medical findings, timeline, intent, causation or each defendant’s role in the home. No public plea has been reported. No trial date has been announced. The sheriff’s office, coroner’s office and prosecutors have released only limited details while the case remains active.

West and Craig remained jailed after bond was denied. The next major step is expected in circuit court, where prosecutors will control charging decisions and future hearings in the homicide by child abuse case.

Author note: Last updated July 8, 2026.