Her father was charged and the search was on for her mother in connection with the death of a 13-month-old girl from Clinton, Iowa.
The baby’s father, Spencer James Smith, 24, of Clinton, was arrested Monday, January 13, 2014 at a residential correctional facility, according to a spokesperson for the Bettendorf Police Department. Court records show Smith was already in custody after he was sentenced in Clinton County in early January 2014 following his guilty plea in a forgery case.
Police said Smith and the baby’s 25-year-old mother, Precious Bailey, took the little girl from Bettendorf to a hospital in Clinton in September 2013. The child was transferred to a hospital in Iowa City where she died September 24, 2013.
An online obituary for the little girl lists Bailey and Smith as her parents.
The police spokesperson said investigators confirmed the baby had ingested methadone and that she “was previously exposed to methamphetamine.”
Smith, who was listed in jail records as Spencer Smith-Tracy, was held in the Scott County Jail in lieu of $1-million bond. He was charged with one count of child endangerment resulting in death.
Police said an active warrant was issued for Precious Bailey. As of Thursday, January 16 police said they were still looking for her. Anyone with information about Bailey’s whereabouts is asked to contact Bettendorf Police at (563) 344-4023.
