Red Bay daycare owner faces 27 charges, including manslaughter, following death of 4-month-old

RED BAY, Ala. (WHNT) — The owner of a Red Bay daycare now faces more than 25 charges, including manslaughter, in the death of a four-month-old child following an incident at the daycare in 2022.

Angelene Chamblee was initially charged with six counts of violating the child custody law and two counts of forgery following the death of 4-month-old Autumn Wells in 2022. On June 3, prosecutors requested to “nolle prosequi,” a Latin term meaning not to prosecute, the charges currently pending against Chamblee.

In its motion, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office said it gathered a large amount of evidence and witness interviews during its preparation for the jury trial of Payton Gann, another person at the day care charged in Wells’ death. The motion said that because of this new evidence, the state plans to present the charges against Chamblee to a grand jury a second time.

Today, Chamblee is charged with involuntary manslaughter, 18 counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument, two counts of second-degree forgery and six counts of operating a day care center without a license or permit.

Franklin County Coroner Charles Adcox confirmed the child was taken from Tiny Tigers Daycare to a local hospital in a private vehicle on March 9, 2022. Court records obtained by News 19 in June 2022 indicate Wells’ cause of death was due to being left face down on a “Boppy” pillow for an extended period of time.

Three other women, Hannah Grace Letson, Teia Kay Gann and Madison Jade McCalpin, were also charged in connection with Wells’ death.

In June, a jury found Gann guilty of manslaughter, and she was sentenced in September.

Earlier in 2025, Teia Gann pleaded guilty and her charge was dismissed. Letson pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence and the other charge was dismissed, according to court documents.

McCalpin applied for juvenile delinquent status, but a judge denied that request in September 2022.

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