Infant dies days after being taken to hospital with ‘suspicious injuries,’ coroner says

A nine-month-old girl has died as a result of “suspicious injuries,” according to the Fayette County Coroner’s Office. Her death has been ruled as a homicide.

Sy’Kia Epps was pronounced dead by the coroner’s office on July 30, just days after police received a welfare check that she had been assaulted by her father. The coroner’s office said the cause of death will be determined by an autopsy.

According to Lexington police, 28-year-old Syied Malik-Kawon Epps was originally arrested and charged with first-degree assault (domestic violence). Police reported Syied Epps will face an increased charge of murder — domestic violence.

Officers were dispatched to a residence on Whitney Avenue on July 25 for a welfare check after a nine-month-old arrived at a local hospital with reported life-threatening injuries.

“Under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to value of human life (Syied Epps) wantonly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death to another and caused severe brain trauma to a 9 month old victim,” a police citation reads.

Syied Epps is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, August 3 for the assault charge. His bond is currently set at $50,000 and he is being held in the Fayette County Detention Center.

This story was originally published July 30, 2023 at 10:30 AM.

Taylor Six

Lexington Herald-Leader

Taylor Six is the criminal justice reporter at the Herald-Leader. She was born and raised in Lexington attending Lafayette High School. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 2018 with a degree in journalism. She previously worked as the government reporter for the Richmond Register.