Syracuse Mother Sentenced In Reckless Homicide Of Son
WARSAW — A Syracuse woman was sentenced on Friday, Jan. 29, in the Kosciusko County Circuit Court for the reckless homicide of her 12-year-old son. The sentencing occurred over a year after Skyler Spore, 12, 202 W. Washington St., Syracuse, was found deceased in his home as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning from generators running inside his home.
Candy S. Chamness, 35, North Long Drive, Syracuse, was found guilty of reckless homicide, a class C felony, by Judge Michael W. Reed. Chamness will be remitted to the Indiana Department of Corrections for a term of four years, all of which will be suspended. Chamness will receive credit for jail time served of 46 days and good time credit of 46 days — totaling 92 days credit.
Two years of the suspended sentence is to be served in the Kosciusko County Jail with a delayed reporting date of 9 a.m. Jan. 30, 2016. The remainder of the suspended sentence will be spent on probation pending good behavior. Probation fees will total $200 with a $25 monthly charge thereafter. She must also pay a fine of $100 to the courts.
In addition, Chamness will be ordered to undergo random drug testing and must complete all Child Protection Services requirements.
Pursuant to her plea agreement, entered in October of 2014, the charge of neglect of a dependent, a class A felony, will be dismissed.
On June 28, 2014, Spore was found unresponsive inside a residence, located at 202 W. Washington St., Syracuse. Turkey Creek Fire Territory EMS were called to the home on reports that the boy had stopped breathing. At approximately 3:47 p.m., emergency responders discovered Skyler Spore, 12, deceased inside the residence.
The home was occupied by the deceased, his parents, Darrick Spore and Candy Chamness, along with another child. All were present in the home at the time of the Skyler’s death.
According to officials, there were two gas powered generators running inside the residence at the time of Skyler’s death. After an investigation into the death by Syracuse Police Department, Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office, Department of Child Services and the Kosciusko Major Crimes Task Force, Darrick Spore, 34, and Candy Chamness, 33, were arrested for the neglect of a dependent resulting in death. Darrick Spore has additionally been charged with reckless homicide.
An autopsy conducted by the Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office through the Northeast Forensic Center in Fort Wayne revealed the cause of death for Spore to be carbon monoxide poisoning. It was also noted that the use of gas powered generators in the home appeared to be the primary source of the poisoning.
Both Darrick Spore and Candy Chamness were booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on Friday, Aug. 22, with $150,000 surety bonds. Spore received an identical sentence on Jan. 26, 2015. Like Chamness, he was found guilty of reckless homicide with county one neglect of a dependent dismissed. He will also serve four years — two in the Kosciusko County Jail and two suspended.