Estella Jean Lacey slept on a bed with her mother, Mary Joyce Lacey, in a Murray home that had dog feces on the floor, Morrow said Wednesday. Lacey was doing drugs and seeing Raymond D. Chesley, a 43-year-old parolee, he said.

"She was on drugs, and I tried to get that baby away from her," he said.

On Dec. 10, after a fight at the Murray house, Morrow and his family took Estella to his parents' home in Wells, Nev. But Lacey obtained a court order that returned Estella to her custody.

More than a week later, Estella died of a methamphetamine overdose - enough to kill an adult, according to toxicology results.

On Wednesday, Lacey was charged with a third-degree felony count of abuse or desecration of a human body. Chesley was charged with a first-degree felony count of endangerment of a child or elder adult and abuse or desecration of a human body.

Chesley told police he was watching Estella on the afternoon of Dec. 27, in his home in the 1200 West block of Tamarack Road (4567 South) in Taylorsville while Lacey slept, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday.

Chesley had propped Estella in the corner of the sofa and was prepared to ingest some methamphetamine when his father called down to him, the complaint states. Chesley allegedly set the plastic bag containing the drug on the armrest beside Estella and went to speak to his father.

When he returned, Chesley noticed the infant had something in her mouth, the complaint states. He retrieved the bag and the meth had dissolved in her saliva, it says.

Estella suffered through several stages of a methamphetamine overdose: She became hyperactive and had wide-open eyes, a police affidavit states. For hours, she would not stop crying or go to sleep.

About 6 a.m., Lacey noticed the baby was blue and not breathing.

She and Chesley made a plan of what to tell police and took the baby to her home in Murray, where Lacey laid Estella's body on a bed, the police affidavit states. She then called 911.

Had Chesley or Lacey called 911 before the baby died, Estella would still be alive, but their "selfishness led to this," said Taylorsville Police Chief Larry Marx.

"This was preventable," he said. "This baby did not need to die."

On Dec. 10, Morrow, his mother and two of his siblings went to Lacey's house in Murray because his mother wanted to visit and bond with Estella. Morrow's family wanted to take the baby to go out to eat and spend time with her, but Lacey wouldn't let them take her, Morrow said.

A fight broke out, and Morrow's sister, who was holding Estella, walked out with the baby and got into a truck. The family took Estella to Nevada.

Morrow was charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor simple assault for the incident.

His attorney, Lonn Litchfield, said he's asked the prosecutor to dismiss the case.

On Dec. 19, a juvenile court granted Lacey a child protective order ordering Estella to be returned to her. The child was returned on Dec. 20.

A hearing for Morrow to respond was set for Jan. 3, less than a week after Estella died.

Convicted of several crimes in Moffat County, Colo., Chesley was imprisoned in 2004 and then placed on parole, which was set to expire in May.

"He was a very volatile and dangerous person," said Moffat County District Attorney Bonnie Roesink.

Chesley was being held on $1 million bail and a hold. Lacey was expected to surrender this morning.

"They're not even going to get what they deserve," Morrow said. "The charges aren't drastic enough."

jhill@sltrib.com