Infant mortality raised in domestic case related to Robertson Co. mutilation

(LEX 18) – In a protective order hearing last week with connections to the Robertson County woman accused of killing and dismembering her mother, the parties raised the 2021 death of a 2-year-old in California talk.

Documents provided to LEX 18 outline an investigation into the death of the boy, who was in the care of Torilena Fields, the woman now accused of murder and abuse of a corpsein the Kentucky mutilation case.

The boy’s death was first brought up when Telby Fields, sister of Torilena Fields, filed for a protective order their brother, Truitt Fields. In Telby Fields’ motion, she wrote that Truitt Fields had threatened members of the family and claimed Torilena Fields acted on his “advice” when she killed their mother, Trudy Fields.

Telby Fields was initially granted an emergency protection order, but after the hearing she was denied a full protection order. The judge said there was no evidence of recent threats, and no evidence that Truitt Fields had any connection or involvement in the death of Trudy Fields.

In the same motion for the protective order, Telby Fields also made allegations about what she called the suspicious death of Truitt Fields’ son in California in 2021.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Office in California verified that the investigative data provided to LEX 18 appeared consistent with the data they have on file in the case.

According to records, Torilena Fields cared for Truitt Fields’ three sons, her nephews, after they were removed from his custody. Records show she lived with the three young boys in a fifth wheel at an RV park in California.

Torilena Fields told investigators that on Aug. 26, 2021, she put the 2-year-old boy in his crib for a nap, and the second time she checked on him, his eyes were open and his lips were purple, according to records. She performed CPR on him until emergency responders arrived.

Investigators noted that the trailer was neat, decorated with the boys’ art, and that the trailer contained plenty of toys and healthy food for the children, according to records. They also noted that the air in the trailer was on and the temperature was comfortable.

According to the records, a coroner ultimately ruled that the boy’s cause of death was hyperthermia, which means a person’s internal body temperature is higher than normal.

During the recent protective order hearing, Truitt Fields told a Kentucky judge that his son died of “SIDS,” or sudden infant death syndrome.

At last week’s protective order hearing in Kentucky, both Telby Fields and another of her brothers, Titus Fields, testified that their mother, Trudy, believed Truitt and Torilena Fields had something to do with the boy’s death.

“I have handwritten notes somewhere saying she knows what happened to baby Tristan and that Torilena and Truitt need to tell the truth,” Titus Fields said during the hearing.

The California case was “exceptionally closed” in 2021, meaning there was not enough evidence to determine whether the boy’s death was intentional or accidental, according to the documents. It appears no one has ever been charged in this case.

The documents also stated that the case could be reopened if further investigative leads or evidence are discovered.

LEX 18 contacted Torilena Fields, who is being held in the Bourbon County Jail. Prison officials said she had no comment.