Records show DCS checked on Bloomington girl before her death

Residents of Bloomington received new information on Tuesday regarding the death of 14-year-old Jamiyah Mayfield. Indiana Department of Child Services records show the agency investigated her family multiple times between 2013 and 2023. The documents were made public under House Enrolled Act 1257, a law requiring DCS to disclose case details after a child dies from abuse or neglect.

The records list at least eight separate assessments. Most were closed as unsubstantiated. In 2013, DCS opened a Child In Need of Services case after Jamiyah fell into a swimming pool unsupervised. The agency placed her in foster and relative care. That case closed in September 2013 after reunification. Subsequent checks in 2016, 2017, and 2019 also ended without substantiation. In 2019, caseworkers attempted four unannounced home visits but could not locate the family.

During the virtual school term in May 2020, DCS noted the family’s whereabouts were unknown. Search efforts failed to make face-to-face contact. A later assessment in November 2020 confirmed Jamiyah was attending school in person with active attendance. That case closed as unsubstantiated. In August 2023, DCS made contact after Jamiyah alleged abuse by a family member. Custody was formally transferred to her biological father and stepmother. The case closed as unsubstantiated despite the transfer.

Jamiyah Mayfield died on July 2, 2025. Her adoptive mother, Toris Mayfield, 31, and biological father, Jerry Mayfield Jr., 33, are each charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death. A jury trial is scheduled for April 2027. No attorney is currently listed for Toris Mayfield. Indiana’s I-Team could not reach the public defender for Jerry Mayfield Jr.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Jamiyah lived with Toris, Jerry, and two younger siblings, ages 5 and 7. Investigators stated her living conditions differed from those of her siblings. She was enrolled in Monroe County Public Schools until February 2025, when she was homeschooled. Her health declined rapidly after leaving school. The affidavit states she was confined to a bedroom with a reversed door lock that could only be secured from the outside. A screw in the window frame prevented it from opening. She required permission to use the bathroom.

A Ring camera inside her bedroom recorded months of her daily life. The footage showed weight loss, hair loss, and marks on her body. On May 1, 2025, IU Health treated her for leg swelling. Hospital notes cited poorly controlled ADHD, weight loss, and skin marks. She was discharged without follow-up on nutritional needs. The parents told police she had an eating disorder but did not inform a specialist of her declining condition.

The affidavit describes the moment Toris found Jamiyah unresponsive on the floor on July 2. Toris yelled at the girl, dragged her by the arms, and dropped her onto a small cot. She then dragged Jamiyah to the bathroom before calling 911. The final amended autopsy report lists the cause of death as complications of severe protein-calorie malnutrition and dehydration. The manner of death is listed as undetermined.