Grandfather: ‘Every day is a reminder of what happened’
RUSSELLVILLE — A former Red Bay day care worker will spend six years behind bars in the death of a 4-month-old who had been left alone for up to two hours after the woman placed the infant on her stomach on a “Boppy” pillow.
Payton Nicole Gann was sentenced Sept. 16 after being convicted in June of manslaughter in the March 9, 2022, death of Autumn Wells at Tiny Tigers Day Care.
Franklin County Circuit Court Judge Brian P. Hamilton issued a 20-year split sentence with five years to serve in prison, followed by one year in the Franklin County Jail.
Manslaughter is a Class B felony and carries with it a sentence of 2 to 20 years.
The one-year county jail sentence is for false reporting to law enforcement.
Gann of Golden, Mississippi, pleaded guilty on the first day of her trial. She had claimed Wells was in a swing when the baby died. Testimony during the trial revealed state regulations call for babies under 12 months old to be placed on their back when put down to sleep. There should not be a blanket covering the baby.
Wells’ grandfather, Joel Wells, said he hopes this sends a message to day care workers and owners everywhere about the importance of following regulations.
“It’s very important today that we send a message,” Wells said. “I want them to know if you do this, you can go to prison. You can lose a significant portion of your life. These are lives we’re talking about.”
He said his daughter and Autumn Wells’ mother, Taylor, spoke directly to Gann during the sentencing hearing.
“My daughter got to look her in the eye and say, ‘You took my child away from me. You killed my child,’” Wells said.
He said he is glad she was able to do that, for her own wellbeing.
“It helped,” he said. “The impact on me was nothing compared to the impact on my daughter. She’s been in a living hell for three years. Every day is a reminder of what happened and what she lost. This lady got a six-year sentence today, but my daughter has a life sentence.”
Franklin County District Attorney Jeff Barksdale speaks on Sept. 16 outside the courthouse after former caregiver Payton Gann was sentenced to prison in the 2022 death of 4-month-old Autumn Wells
District Attorney Jeff Barksdale said he had asked for a 15-year prison sentence. However, he was glad the overall sentence is for 20 years, and that a year of the sentence will be served separately for lying to authorities.
“Taylor and Joel did a wonderful job with the statements they made to the court,” Barksdale said. “This death left a major hole in their lives.”
Gann filed an appeal in the case in July. An order from the Alabama Court of Appeals stated consideration of an appeal would not be made until after the sentencing.
Barksdale said this case is not over.
“There are other defendants who should face justice,” he said.
Prosecutors have said in the past they also want to see justice brought to the owner of the Tiny Tigers Day Care, Angelene Chamblee.
Gann’s trial included testimony from former day care workers who said Chamblee told them to hide Boppy pillows and blankets whenever a Department of Human Resources employee showed up.
Chamblee also reportedly told them to park far from the day care so she could see when a DHR worker drives up to the facility.
Workers also said they were told to say Autumn Wells was in a swing when she died.
Evidence in the trial from a DHR representative included certificates that Gann received, one of which was titled “SIDS and Sleep Safety.”
The company that issues the certificates contacted officials with the district attorney’s office and told them they never issued those certificates.
Prosecutors said during a hearing in the trial that they believe Chamblee is responsible for forging the documents.
Fellow employee Madison McCalpin, who was 17 at the time, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter as a youthful offender and could receive up to four years in jail, prosecutors said.
Two others have been charged in the case.
Gann’s mother, Teia Gann, 43, of Vina, pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness in exchange for a six-month suspended sentence, according to court records.
Hannah Grace Letson, 25, of Red Bay pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence in exchange for a 1-year suspended sentence, according to records.
Tiny Tigers has since closed, and another business not connected to Tiny Tigers now operates at the location.
