Man bound over for trial in baby's death

Raymond Daniel Chesley, who is facing criminal charges in connection with the methamphetamine-related death of a baby, has been bound over for trial following a preliminary hearing before a 3rd District judge in West Jordan.

Prosecutors charged Chesley, 44, with first-degree felony child endangerment and third-degree felony desecration of a dead human body.

Third District Judge Terry Christiansen on Wednesday bound Chesley over for trial on the endangerment charge and has taken the desecration charge under advisement while waiting for prosecutors and defense attorneys to provide case law information bolstering their respective arguments.

Chesley's next court date is Sept. 12.

The charges, according to prosecutors, were lodged because 5-month-old Estella Lacey died after ingesting a bag of methamphetamine that was in the house occupied by Chesley and the girl's mother, Mary Joyce Lacey.

Lacey, 23, has been charged with third-degree desecration of a dead human body.

Police said after the baby consumed the meth, the couple reportedly took the girl to a neighbor for observation who said the child looked OK, and then they returned home with the girl, who underwent the various stages of drug overdosage before dying. Police said the couple did not call 911 or seek medical help.

When Murray police arrived on Dec. 28 at a house near 20 West and 4900 South, the baby was found dead lying on a bed, although police doubt the child died at that location. Law enforcement officials suspect the child died at Chesley's Taylorsville house and the pair loaded the baby's body into a truck and took her to the other residence to try to keep police from going to the Taylorsville residence.

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com