Father accused of neglect of a dependent in 8-year-old son’s death

Travis Tuttle

COLUMBUS, Ind. — A local man was arrested Monday afternoon on a Bartholomew County warrant and is being held on a $1 million bond as part of a death investigation involving his 8-year-old son conducted by detectives from the Columbus Police Department.

On the morning of March 21, Columbus police officers responded to a residence in the 4300 block of Serenity Drive in regards to a child who was reportedly not breathing, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.

When officers arrived at the residence, they met with Travis E. Tuttle, 35, of 4373 Serenity Drive, Harris said. A short time later, officers located his 8-year-old son, Lealyn Tuttle, who was deceased inside the home, Harris said.

Lealyn E. Tuttle

Detectives from the Columbus Police Department responded to the scene and began an investigation that lasted several months. Investigators executed a search warrant for the residence and located narcotics including fentanyl as well as drug paraphernalia inside the home, Harris said.

An autopsy report later showed that Lealyn’s cause of death was from acute fentanyl and diphenhydramine intoxication, according to the police department.
Travis Tuttle was taken into custody without incident at his residence on Monday and was transported to the Bartholomew County Jail where he was remanded to their custody on a Bartholomew County warrant with the following charges:

— Count 1: Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death (Level 1 Felony)

— Count 2: Possession of a Narcotic Drug (Level 6 Felony).

For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.