A Florida man is facing a manslaughter charge in the 2024 death of his 3-month-old godson after investigators said the baby was left alone with a bottle propped against a stuffed toy.
Dane Edwards, 24, was arrested in St. Louis, Missouri, and later extradited to Osceola County in connection with the death of Skylar Fisk. He is charged with manslaughter by aggravated child abuse.
The case began on March 5, 2024, when deputies responded to an apartment complex on Meridius Place after receiving a report of an unresponsive infant. Skylar was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
According to the arrest affidavit, Skylar’s mother had been taking a shower and left Edwards, who lived in the home, responsible for caring for the baby. She told investigators that she had previously warned people in the household not to use a stuffed toy to prop up Skylar’s bottle because she was worried he could choke.
When the mother came out of the shower, she heard Edwards running with Skylar in his arms and saying that the baby was not breathing. She began CPR, and formula reportedly came from the infant’s mouth and nose.
Medical staff later found a large amount of formula in Skylar’s esophagus. Investigators said doctors believed the baby had aspirated the formula.
A stuffed sloth was also found in the baby’s room with an eight-ounce bottle secured around it. Investigators said the evidence indicated that the bottle had been propped up for the infant while he was in a swing and left without supervision for at least an hour.
Edwards initially told investigators that he had fed Skylar earlier that morning before placing him in a baby swing and putting videos on a laptop for him to watch. He initially claimed that he had placed the bottle on the floor.
During a later reenactment, detectives asked Edwards to demonstrate how he had fed the baby using a doll. The affidavit says that when Edwards picked up the doll, its head snapped backward. Investigators said Edwards laughed and remarked, “I killed it.”
The affidavit says Edwards then demonstrated a traditional way of holding and feeding the infant before allegedly acknowledging that he had used the stuffed sloth to hold the bottle near Skylar’s mouth.
Edwards reportedly told investigators that he had used the stuffed animal to prop the bottle before and argued that Skylar was capable of moving the bottle away himself. Detectives disputed that explanation, saying the infant was not capable of doing so.
Investigators also said Edwards became upset during questioning and eventually asked for a lawyer. Before the interview ended, he allegedly told detectives, “If this falls on anyone, it’s me.”
The investigation continued for more than two years. Autopsy results returned in October 2025 found milk-based formula in Skylar’s lungs. Investigators said the medical examiner considered the death preventable.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office later obtained an arrest warrant. Edwards was arrested in Missouri and returned to Florida, where he was booked into the Osceola County Jail. Current booking information lists the manslaughter by aggravated child abuse charge against him.
The case remains a criminal proceeding, and the allegations in the arrest affidavit have not been established as facts in court.
Skylar was born on December 4, 2023, and died on March 5, 2024, according to his obituary. His family remembered him as a child who spent his short life surrounded by his parents and extended family.
Edwards now faces the legal proceedings connected to the infant’s death as prosecutors pursue the manslaughter charge.
