ADAMS, Ma, (NEWS10) – A couple from Adams, Massachusetts, have been indicted following the death of a 10-month-old infant. Matthew Tucker, 37, and Cassandra Barlow-Tucker, 37, were charged with manslaughter and reckless endangerment of a child on April 8, the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office has said.

On February 18, 2020, a baby the couple were fostering, Kristoff Zenopolous, was found dead in his crib. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner claims the the infant died from complications from strep A, pneumonia, and the resulting build-up of pus in his lungs.

Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington said Kristoff’s death was preventable and thanked the Grand Jury for issuing the indictments.

“I send my deepest condolences to Kristoff’s family who is devastated by this loss. His death was preventable and I thank the Grand Jury for their careful deliberation and returning these indictments so that my office may obtain justice for Kristoff.

I thank the investigators and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for their work on this heartbreaking case. We should never see another child in Massachusetts die because a caregiver failed to provide basic medical care.”

District Attorney Andrea Harrington

Prosecutors say the child showed visible signs of illness in the two weeks leading up to his death, while in the care of the Tuckers. They claim that antibiotics routinely treat the illnesses Kristoff was suffering from and the couple’s failure to seek medical help led to the child’s death.

The pair have been released on personal recognizance with conditions that they follow requirements set by the Department of Children and Families.