MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Tuesday that the state Grand Jury for Shelby County had returned an indictment against a Memphis woman whose two young children died from injuries sustained in a house fire last month.

Melodia Dunn, 22, has been indicted on two counts of aggravated child neglect or endangerment (a non-parolable class A felony) and two counts of reckless homicide (a class D felony).

According to the first two counts of the indictment, Dunn “did unlawfully and knowingly, other than by accidental means, neglect or endanger” Ladareon Dunn and Cartareon Dunn.  The third and fourth counts of the indictment state that Dunn “did unlawfully and recklessly kill” her two children.

Ladareon Dunn, 3, died on October 19, the same day his home, a duplex located at 1240 Effie, caught fire.  His brother, Cartareon, 2, died October 26 from injuries sustained during the fire.

“I have been outraged by this incident and know the public has been, as well. We will seek to hold the defendant accountable for her actions,” said District Attorney Gibbons.  “If found guilty on all counts, Ms. Dunn is looking at a long prison sentence,” Gibbons added.

Dunn is being held in the Shelby County Jail on $250,000 bond.  An arraignment date has not been set.

Aggravated child neglect in which the victim is 6 years old or younger is punishable by a standard sentence of 15-25 years in prison.  It is one of the few sentences that is non-parolable under Tennessee law.  Reckless homicide is punishable by a standard sentence of 2-4 years in prison. 

Assistant District Attorneys Robert Carter and Scot Bearup are prosecuting this case. Both are assigned to the Child Protection Investigation Team which handles cases of child sexual abuse and severe physical abuse.