How Could You? Hall of Shame-Micah and Caleb Taylor cases-Child Deaths

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Dekalb County and Jefferson County, group home resident, “Dakota Taylor, 21, faces murder charges in the deaths of two infant boys separated by four years, with juvenile court records revealing warning signs documented years before her arrest.

Dakota is charged with two counts each of malice murder, felony murder and cruelty to children in the first degree in the deaths of 7-month-old Micah Taylor and 8-month-old Caleb Taylor.

Micah died Sept. 13, 2021, while in Dakota’s care at Little Debbie’s 2nd Chance Homes, a group home for teenage mothers in DeKalb County.

More than four years later, 8-month-old Caleb died Jan. 8, 2025, after Dakota brought him to a relative’s home in Jefferson County.

The juvenile records are not in relation to her two boys, Caleb and Micah, but for her two baby girls she had prior to the passing of both Caleb and Micah.

Records obtained by 12 On Your Side show the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services received a report of child abuse and neglect in fall 2020 involving Dakota and her two baby daughters.

In an affidavit filed by DFCS to the court, the report alleges Dakota made threats on Twitter and via text to kill her girls. At that time, she was 23 weeks pregnant with Micah.

The report also alleges she held a knife to one of her daughter’s throats to keep the children’s father from leaving her. Records also state Dakota used marijuana while pregnant.

DFCS placed both daughters in foster care and documented Dakota’s “odd behavior.” The agency ordered psychological and psychiatric evaluations.

In early 2021, Dakota gave birth to her son, Micah. Records show she was in counseling and gaining privileges, but progress stopped by summer.

On Sept. 4, 2021, Dakota ran away from foster care, taking 7-month-old Micah with her. She was gone for nine days. When she returned, Micah died in her care at the group home.

Body camera video from DeKalb County police shows officers responding to Little Debbie’s 2nd Chance Homes the night Micah died. A worker at the home told officers Dakota had taken Micah upstairs to give him a bottle. Dakota later came downstairs with vomit on her, saying Micah had gotten sick.

The group home worker found Micah blue and unresponsive in a baby swing.

“I could hear him aspirating like something was stuck. I tried to finger swab him; nothing was in there,” the group home worker told officers in body camera footage.

Four days after Micah’s death, a group home worker found open formula belonging to Micah that smelled like chemicals. DeKalb County investigators obtained a search warrant for felony murder and removed items including hair glue, nail polish remover and hand sanitizer from the home.

A toxicology report confirmed acetone was found in Micah’s bottle. However, the autopsy report said Micah’s blood did not contain acetone, and the significance of the finding was uncertain.

DFCS noted the cause of Micah’s death was from a respiratory infection. However, the DeKalb County coroner ruled Micah’s death as “undetermined.”

DeKalb County investigators didn’t interview family members until more than two years after Micah’s death, in October 2023.

Micah’s father told investigators Dakota confessed to him about the death.

“First, she told me she had drowned him but then she came back and said she was telling everybody that because she couldn’t let anyone know what really happened. She told me she cut the inside of my son’s nose and held a covid mask over his face until he wasn’t breathing anymore,” he said in the recorded interview.

Dakota’s half-sister provided a similar account, telling investigators Dakota described holding Micah’s nose and placing her hand over it “until he turned different colors until he wasn’t moving anymore.”

DFCS reports noted complaints about Dakota’s “lack of attachment and being unfit to parent her children” following psychological evaluations. Despite these concerns, Micah and Dakota continued to be placed together.

One resident at the group home told investigators she “did not feel safe in the home with Dakota… and felt she did something to hurt Micah because she wanted him out of the way to be free.”

Despite Micah’s death, the legal battle over her other children continued. By February 2022, Dakota stopped counseling and drug screens and vanished again.

In July 2022, a judge ruled “The biological mother is hereby found to be unfit… the child is currently suffering and is in danger of suffering in the future serious, physical, mental, emotional, and moral harm.”

The court warned there would be a “high probability” of serious harm if the children stayed with her. Dakota eventually aged out of the juvenile system at 18.

Dakota later had another child, Caleb, her fourth child.

On Jan. 8, 2025, Jefferson County deputies responded to a call about an unresponsive infant. Dakota had brought 8-month-old Caleb to Laura Taylor’s house around 8 p.m.

Laura was a family member who often watched and cared for Caleb. Laura carried the car seat inside and removed a blanket covering it.

“I touched his hand because that’s the first thing I noticed. His hands were blue, and I touched his hands and I started screaming at my husband,” Laura said.

Laura and her husband attempted CPR on Caleb.

“I picked him up and his little head it and fell back,” Laura said.

Caleb was taken to the hospital, where he later passed away.

According to the family, Caleb was under the state’s care and Dakota was able to have access to him.

DFCS began another investigation after Caleb’s death. The agency’s report reveals conflicting accounts of what happened that day.

According to the DFCS report, Laura Taylor said Caleb was fine, laughing and playing in the car seat before being handed over to Dakota at around 3 p.m.

At around 7:50 p.m., Dakota dropped Caleb back off with Laura. She said Dakota immediately shut the car door and did not say anything.

However, Dakota’s account was different. She told investigators that when she picked Caleb up, he appeared to be drowsy and sleepy.

Jefferson County Coroner Randy Miller told DFCS investigators that Dakota had taken Caleb to Jefferson County Medical Center two weeks prior for respiratory issues.

Miller also noted in the DFCS report that “the timelines keep changing and that it’s changed several times.”

The DFCS investigation into Caleb’s death revealed that Dakota was under the agency’s supervision for both cases.

Despite the prior concerns about her fitness as a parent and the death of Micah in 2021, she was allowed to have access to Micah and Caleb.

The investigation into Caleb’s death raised the same questions that had gone unanswered after Micah’s death: How was Dakota Taylor able to maintain access to her children despite documented concerns from DFCS and family members?

The family says they had raised concerns about Dakota’s fitness as a parent years before either death occurred.

“I wish they would have done right by Micah the first time it took another baby dying before them to be able to do what they did,” Laura said.

Laura said she believes the system failed both boys.”

“The family says the fight continues until someone is held accountable for allowing Dakota to have access to the children.

“I promised Caleb the night that he died, that I wouldn’t stop until I made sure that she was locked away for good, for what she had done. And I won’t until she is,” Laura said.

The juvenile records show that for years, DFCS and the courts documented the threats, substance abuse and the death of one son. Four years after those first red flags were raised, two of her baby boys have died.

Law enforcement finally acted on both cases in 2025, four years after Micah’s death and following Caleb’s death in early 2025.”

Dakota is expected to be arraigned in Jefferson County on Feb. 11 for Caleb’s case. She has not made a plea yet. DeKalb County also has her arraignment scheduled on Feb. 11 for Micah’s case.

Dakota has filed a motion asking for bond.

The Georgia Department of Human Services’ Division of Family & Children Services provided a statement about the case: “The Georgia Department of Human Services’ Division of Family & Children Services is aware of the recent, tragic death of eight-month-old Caleb Taylor. The Division has history with Caleb’s family, and we are working alongside law enforcement to assist them in their investigation. Our condolences go out to all who loved Caleb as they grieve this devastating loss.”

The statement did not address questions about how Dakota Taylor was able to maintain access to both children despite documented concerns about her parenting abilities and the prior termination of her parental rights to two daughters.”

GEORGIA CPS, YOU SUCK!!!!

Records reveal years of red flags for mother charged in sons’ deaths
[WRDW 2/4/26 by William Rioux]

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