Greensburg — Around 11 a.m. on May 17, Courtney Gail Tressler, 25, allegedly placed her disabled son, Payton Wesley Ettinger, 4, into his crib for a nap. He would never wake up.

On Wednesday, more than three months after Payton's death, Tressler was arrested on charges of neglect of a dependent, a Class A felony, and reckless homicide, a Class C felony. She posted the $15,000 bond and was released.

The investigation into Payton's death began with a 911 call received by the Decatur County Sheriff's Department at 3:23 p.m. Decatur County EMS arrived at 307 E. Meadow Drive within a minute and placed to a call to Greensburg dispatch requesting the coroner at 3:25 p.m., according to police blotter records. According to the probable cause affidavit filed in Decatur County Circuit Court, Greensburg Police Department detectives arrived shortly after and Coroner Doug Banks took the body into custody.

After an extensive autopsy and tests that took until Aug. 13 to complete, it was determined Payton died due to 'malnutrition and dehydration,' according to the affidavit. Banks said he would not comment further on the autopsy results beyond what was stated in the affidavit. However, the pathologist's findings, the report states, showed 'no significant amount of food in the child's intestines or stomach' and 'the physical appearance of the child's body clearly showed profound malnutrition and no body fat on the child's body... (the) skin on his face was drawn tightly against his skull and face bones with obvious emaciation.' The 4-year-old weighed 12 pounds at the time of his death.

This is not the first time in Payton's short life one of his parents has been accused of harming him. Payton was born in Traverse City, Mich., on Oct. 31, 2005. In his first two months of life, according to records from the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Grand Traverse County (Mich.), Martin Ettinger repeatedly abused his infant son. Records from the case show Payton 'had a fractured tibia that was not recent' as well as 'numerous rib fractures in at least two, possibly, three states of healingÓ and 'multiple abnormalities with various ages including a small right-sided subdural-like hematoma' in his brain. Ettinger was convicted of first degree child abuse on April 28, 2006 and is currently serving a 15-year prison term. Payton was left brain damaged, according to the current affidavit, and suffered developmental disabilities. The 4-year-old couldn't walk or speak and had difficulty controlling most motor functions, according to the report.

On May 18, GPD detectives interviewed Courtney Tressler as well as her husband and Payton's step-father, Greg Tressler. In that interview, according to the affidavit, she told police she 'intended to take Payton to the hospital' two days before his death because she had noticed the child was losing weight. However, she told detectives personal finances caused her to delay the trip. She also stated she had taken Payton to a children's clinic in Michigan in 2009 and she had twice applied, but was denied, for Medicaid assistance.

According to the affidavit, however, Tressler had not taken Payton to the hospital since November 2006. A review of the records from the clinic in Michigan showed Payton 'achieved a body weight of 17 pounds, three ounces' in his first year and was 16 pounds, five ounces in July 2006.

The affidavit also states that upon perusal of DCS records, Tressler never attempted to apply for Medicaid. While she also told police she could not afford a trip to the hospital, 'she went twice to Decatur County Memorial Hospital for her own personal medical reasons' on May 19.

The GPD and Decatur County Prosecutor's Office are not commenting any further on the case beyond the probable cause affidavit. GPD Chief Brian Heaton said the facts of the case were in the report.

"I've been instructed not to comment any further," Heaton said.

Prosecutor Bill Smith also denied comment. While Tressler was charged, Smith did not comment on the reasons for the absence of charges for Greg Tressler, noting he was not PaytonÕs legal guardian and the law is "complicated."

The Tresslers have remained fairly silent about the ordeal, according to anonymous sources involved in the case. Attempts to contact Courtney Tressler were unsuccessful. A phone number listed in their name was disconnected and a harassment call was placed to police at 11:13 a.m. on Thursday.

However, both Courtney and Greg Tressler were moderately frequent posters on the popular social networking site, Facebook. According to her page, which is listed under her maiden name Courtney Hughey, she notes on May 14, "I'm so ready for a change." On May 15 - the day she told police she intended to take Payton to the hospital - she informs everyone she and her family will be grilling out and having a picnic in the backyard.

"My babies are getting so big so quick," she wrote.

Greg Tressler makes only a few brief mentions of Payton, whom they called "Puka." However, on the date of Payton's death, Greg Tressler posted a joking message to his friend a little more than six hours after his step-son died and won an award in a Facebook video game a few hours later.

In the subsequent months following Payton's death, both Tresslers steer clear of direct comments on the death. Her first post since the death was on June 2. On June 18, she wrote: "(W)ords of wisdom to those who need them; don't mess with my family you will lose, don't think you are sneeky (sic) when you clearly aren't, quit being a s--- disturber that's how you run everyone off and end up with no one just wait it will happen."

Subsequent posts note "trying to reclaim my life" as the couple dealt with the death, including skydiving and rock climbing. Several following posts reveal "its to (sic) hot to be outside to (sic) depressing to be inside" (July 24) and "Irritated! Just one whole peaceful day please just one!" (Aug. 2).

Tressler is currently out on bond awaiting an initial hearing. It was not apparent if she had retained an attorney, but Greg Tressler told WTHR Channel 13 in an interview aired Thursday evening they did not believe they needed one.

"Is this just a misunderstanding? Is this just someone got the wrong idea or something like that? I think it's a small town and someone's trying to make a name for themselves," Greg Tressler told WTHR.