Forsyth daycare operator sentenced to 14 years for shaking baby to death

DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — A Forsyth daycare operator has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for shaking a baby in frustration almost two years ago, killing the seven-week-old infant.

On Thursday, 26-year-old Taylor Burris reached a plea agreement with prosecutors where she pleaded guilty to a new charge of second-degree murder. The three charges she was originally indicted on were dismissed.

Burris was charged in June of 2022 with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated battery to a child and endangering the life or health of a child following the death of Maren Gallagher. Authorities said Burris was running an unlicensed daycare out of her home in Forsyth on May 17 when she called authorities to report that Maren had fallen unresponsive. The infant was taken to Springfield and died hours later.

Doctors said Maren had bruising on her face and was bleeding internally. Burris claimed to deputies that a softball other kids were playing with hit Maren in the head, but doctors told deputies the injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

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After involving DCFS in the investigation, Macon County Sheriff’s deputies interviewed Burris a month after Maren’s death. During that interview, she admitted to deputies that she was unable to calm Maren while she was crying and in a fit of frustration, she had shaken the baby.

Burris also admitted to searching Google for information about shaken baby syndrome and waited four hours before calling an ambulance for Maren.

For shaking and killing Maren, Burris was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years in prison on the change of second-degree murder. She was given credit for six months she spent in custody between June and December of 2022. On top of her prison sentence, Burris will also have to spend one year on supervised release.

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