UPDATE at 1:00pm 7/16/2026: After receiving questions from 620 WTMJ, Appleton Police Public Information Officer John Ostermeier proviced this statement on behalf of Chief Polly Olson.
“Death investigations involving children are some of the most difficult cases members of my team handle. Appleton Police detectives collaborate with the Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office and the Outagamie County Coroner’s Office to ensure a complete and thorough investigation takes place. Occasionally, these investigations take a substantial amount of time, which is understandably difficult for family members seeking closure.”
The department added that, because the investigation remains open, it could not comment on the specifics of the case.
Amarian Is Finally Released
For more than a month, Katrina Payne and Shawnie Grant waited for the day they could finally bring their 6-month-old son, Amarian, home.When that day finally came, they say they were met with another heartbreaking reality.
The couple says Amarian’s body had deteriorated to the point that they may no longer be able to have the open-casket funeral they had hoped for.
“This has been extremely emotional for our family,” they told WTMJ. “If they had released him sooner, he wouldn’t be in this condition. It’s heartbreaking.”
According to the family, they were informed Amarian could not be embalmed because of the condition of his body.
They say the opportunity to say goodbye to their son in the way they had planned may now be gone forever.
WTMJ has reached out to the Outagamie County Coroner’s Office, the Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office and the Appleton Police Department seeking answers about the family’s concerns regarding Amarian.
While the investigation remains active, Payne and Grant say their focus has shifted from waiting for answers to preparing to lay their son to rest.
The investigation is still ongoing, and 620 WTMJ will follow up when more information becomes available.
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7/14/2026
APPLETON, Wis. — Katrina Payne and Shawnie Grant say they have spent more than a month grieving the unexpected death of their 6-month-old son, Amarian, while also navigating a police investigation that left them questioning when they would finally be able to lay him to rest.
Amarian died June 9 after a night in which his mother says he was unusually irritable and repeatedly woke for feedings.
The parents say the hours following his death included a search of their home, separate police interviews, a reenactment using a doll and the temporary placement of their surviving children with relatives.
“We deserve closure,” Payne said. “We’re actually victims of this situation.”
A difficult night turns into tragedy
Payne said Amarian had been dealing with severe eczema and had previously been taken to the emergency room for treatment. She said he had no known history of a serious illness but appeared more irritable than usual the night before his death.
“He was more irritable and scratching his skin more than normal,” Payne said.
According to Payne, she fed Amarian around 10 p.m. and again after he woke around midnight. She said he remained fussy and difficult to put down. At approximately 2 a.m., she prepared another bottle and fed him again.
When Payne later woke up, she realized something was wrong.
“I tried to wake him up, and then I screamed and hollered for my oldest son to go and get his dad and call the police,” Payne said.
She began CPR while Grant called 911. First responders arrived, but Amarian was pronounced dead.
Police investigate possible neglect
A recorded phone conversation between Appleton Police Investigator Joe Lidbury and the family provides additional details about the scope of the investigation.
“The determination of what I’m doing is if there’s any level of neglect that led to that death,” Lidbury said.
According to the recording, investigators were reviewing interviews with the parents and children, along with possible previous contacts involving Child Protective Services or other county agencies.
Lidbury emphasized that the inquiry did not mean criminal charges would ultimately be filed.
“I don’t know if that’s going to be the end outcome,” he said. “This is just what happens when we do an investigation.”
The family says it was told that no trauma had been observed and that there was no apparent foul play. Those statements have not been confirmed by WTMJ, and a final cause and manner of death have not been publicly established.
Recorded call sheds light on the hold
The same recording provides details about discussions involving the continued hold on Amarian’s remains.
Lidbury told the family he had spoken with Outagamie County District Attorney Mindy Tempelis.
“The decision to hold Amarian, again, I think is something that we’re both in agreement on,” Lidbury said.
However, he also said Tempelis had not yet received a full briefing on the investigation and that further discussion would take place before another decision about release.
“Because the district attorney hasn’t had an opportunity to be able to go through and discuss the case with us and what we have spoken with you, is why the hold has been placed,” Lidbury said.
He told the family the hold was “not necessarily for the duration of waiting for toxicology.”
Lidbury said he had initially believed investigators might have to wait for toxicology, which he said could take months, but later told the family he no longer expected that to be necessary.
“I do not think we’ll be waiting for the duration of the toxicology,” he said.
At that point, however, no specific release date was given.
“I do not want him held any longer than we absolutely have to,” Lidbury said. “My goal is to get him released to you guys as soon as possible.”
District attorney refers questions to police
WTMJ contacted the Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office seeking information about the investigation and the hold.
Tempelis responded:
“This case is under investigation by the Appleton Police Department. Please direct any inquiries to them.”
Her response did not address Lidbury’s recorded statement that he believed the decision to hold Amarian was something he and the district attorney were “both in agreement on.”
WTMJ sought further clarification.
The Outagamie County Coroner’s Office was also contacted regarding the status of the autopsy and toxicology testing, the cause and manner of death and the process for releasing Amarian’s remains.
Parents raise concerns about their treatment
Payne and Grant, who say they moved from Milwaukee and have lived in the Appleton area for six or seven years, question whether race played a role in how they were treated.
“I just feel like it’s discrimination at this point,” Grant said.
The parents have not provided independent evidence establishing that race motivated the actions of investigators.
They say their concerns stem from their overall experience following Amarian’s death, including the search of their home, hours of questioning, Payne’s clothing being taken, the reenactment and the temporary placement of their children.
The Appleton Police Department has been asked to respond to those concerns.
UPDATE: Family told police are moving to release their hold
Hours after WTMJ sent questions to the Appleton Police Department, Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office and Outagamie County Coroner’s Office, the family says it received a significant update.
Payne and Grant say they were told Appleton police were moving to release their hold on Amarian’s remains.
As of Monday night, however, the family said the process was not yet complete and they were waiting for the next step involving the Outagamie County Coroner’s Office.
“They’re saying that they released the body, but they haven’t completely released the body,” Grant said.
The family said it attempted to contact the Coroner’s Office but was unable to reach anyone before the end of the day.
The development came the same day WTMJ began seeking answers from the agencies involved.
“I feel grateful,” Grant said.
But he said the experience has taken an emotional toll.
“I feel real emotionally distressed,” Grant said. “We can’t even get back to regular life.”
The family says it is now waiting for confirmation that Amarian can be transferred for funeral arrangements.
After more than a month of uncertainty, Payne and Grant say they may finally be closer to laying their son to rest.
