A 21-month-old boy died after severe neglect, and his older brother was found in the same home in weakened condition, say prosecutors.

MASON, Mich. — More than a year and a half after a 21-month-old boy was found unresponsive in an Aurelius Township home, his parents are facing open murder and first-degree child abuse charges in a case that prosecutors say began with a 911 call and ended in a homicide ruling.

The case matters now because it has moved from a long-running death investigation into open court, with bond set in the millions and a preliminary exam ahead. Prosecutors allege Pierson Davis, 29, and Karloina Davis, 30, abused and neglected their younger son, Vincent Davis, and also caused serious harm to the couple’s surviving 4-year-old child. The charges bring new scrutiny to what investigators described as extreme living conditions inside the family’s home.

According to local reports and court documents described in those reports, the case began on Aug. 12, 2024, when Karloina Davis called 911 to report that Vincent was face down and not breathing in his crib at the family’s home on Plains Road in Aurelius Township. Dispatchers urged her to begin CPR, but authorities later said she told them the child was “beyond help.” When first responders arrived, they found her outside holding Vincent. Officers and medical staff attempted lifesaving measures, but the child was later pronounced dead. Investigators said the boy appeared severely undernourished. One report described his skin as pulled tight over his face and skull, with his ribs visible, a heavily soiled diaper and a bruise in his groin area.

The investigation widened as officers moved through the house. Authorities said the living quarters were not fit for children and contained garbage, waste, rotting food and what appeared to be dried blood on walls. In an upstairs room, police found the couple’s 4-year-old son naked and wrapped in a blanket. He appeared weak and could not stand on his own, according to reports later cited in court coverage. A digital message recovered during the investigation also became part of the case narrative. Investigators said a screen displayed a message stating, “I was just holding him and taking stuff out of his mouth, he has no heartbeat, no breathing,” followed by an exchange asking what had been in the child’s mouth and an answer that said, “I think pieces of his bed.” Karloina Davis later told investigators she found foam in Vincent’s mouth and back toward his throat, according to the reporting.

Authorities treated the death as more than an isolated medical emergency. Michigan State Police investigated alongside the Ingham County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services through Child Protective Services. Prosecutors later said Vincent’s death was determined to be the result of caregiver neglect and that the manner of death was homicide. That finding gave investigators a legal basis to seek more serious charges after months of review. Officials have also said the older child was removed from the home that day. Follow-up reporting said parental rights were later terminated and that the child was placed in foster care. That history helps explain why the case now centers on both a death allegation and a separate abuse count tied to the surviving sibling.

The criminal case is now moving through 55th District Court in Ingham County. Prosecutors announced that both parents were charged with open murder in Vincent’s death and with two counts of first-degree child abuse tied to Vincent and his brother. At arraignment in March 2026, bond was set at $10 million for Pierson Davis and $20 million for Karloina Davis. The couple returned to court March 31 for a probable cause conference. Their preliminary exam, which had been expected sooner, was pushed to July 7. That hearing is likely to be the next major step because prosecutors can use it to lay out testimony and documents supporting the charges, while the defense can begin testing the strength of the state’s case.

The story has also carried a quieter record of who Vincent was outside the case file. In an obituary, his family remembered him as “a joyful little boy who touched the lives of everyone around him.” That line stands in sharp contrast to the condition investigators say they found inside the home and the language later quoted from the 911 call and recovered messages. So far, public reporting has not answered several key questions, including how long the alleged neglect lasted, whether either parent has entered a formal plea on every count, and what medical testimony prosecutors plan to present at the July hearing. What is clear is that the case has shifted from suspicion and investigation into a closely watched homicide prosecution.

The parents remain charged, the surviving child is no longer in the home, and the next milestone is the July 7 preliminary exam in Ingham County, where a judge is expected to hear more of the evidence behind the allegations.

Author note: Last updated April 9, 2026.