Shane Weedling and Krysti Lavanway made an initial appearance in Marshall County Court on Tuesday.
Both are facing charges in the death of 2-year-old Serenity Wilson. She died as a result of blunt force trauma last week, prompting an outpouring of community support. Wilson received 27 hours of intensive medical attention prior to her passing on the weekend of September 19th.
Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman commented on the charges the couple is facing, including: Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death and Aggravated Battery, both Level One felonies. Chipman says the charges stem from their ability to prove intent.
A Change.org petition has since been started that looks to influence the charges filed against Weedling and Lavanway. As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition had 2,100 signatures asking Chipman to file Murder charges in the case.
According to the text accompanying the petition, “…people all over the community feel that justice isn’t being served…”
On Tuesday, the petition creators provided an update, saying that because the signatures have surpassed 2,000, it will now be delivered to Chipman’s offices.
No response has been provided by the Prosecutor’s office. Chipman, however, says that the charges could change depending on information revealed during the investigation.
If convicted on the current charges, Weedling could face 20 and 40 years in prison.
