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Mom and dad of infant girl found starved and dead in crib blame GOD
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‘Let the strong survive’: Inside the twisted mind of a father who allegedly let his infant daughter die of starvation, refusing to get her lifesaving medical help

A western Michigan couple has been charged with the murder of their beautiful 10-month-old daughter, who died August 2 of malnutrition and dehydration.

Seth Welch and Tatiana Fusari, both 27, were arrested August 6 after an autopsy report led to murder charges in the death of their infant daughter, Mary Ann Welch. The couple displayed strange behavior at their arraignment, appearing shocked by the charges and possible punishment. Additionally, the father shared a plethora of bizarre posts to Facebook prior to the baby’s death, with rants on topics ranging from his strong religious beliefs to letting “the weak die off.”

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Mary was found unresponsive in the couple’s Cedar Springs home, a small town located about 25 miles north of Grand Rapids. Welch called authorities and reported the baby as being dead in her crib, according to a media release.

A responding officer noted Mary’s eyes and cheeks as being “sunken into her head,” a police report states, according to WOOD-TV. The couple was subsequently brought in for questioning and told detectives that while they noticed their daughter’s skinny appearance at least a month prior, they failed to seek medical attention for Mary—with Fusari blaming a “fear of having Child Protective Services (CPS) called, lack of faith and trust in medical services and religious reasons.”


On the same day, Welch uploaded a status to Facebook:

“Heart is about shattered right now. Woke up to Mary dead in her bed this morning – this evening had our children removed and placed on ‘no contact’ because Tati and I are the worst parents ever – Thankfully they are with grandma and grandpa. Just numb inside right now. And I’m really enjoying the loving embrace of an isolation cell from the cops and government employees who keep assuring me ‘they are only here to help.’


A few months back, Welch uploaded a video to Facebook titled, “Vaccinations/health/medical industry,” in which he is heard criticizing traditional medical care.

Speaking of vaccines he says, “The righteous shall live by faith. It’s God who is sovereign over disease and those sorts of things and, of course, ultimately deaths.”

He talks about reluctantly getting his first child vaccinated.

“When my first daughter was born I was still kind of on the plantation a bit like that…you know I kind of still felt like I had to report to the government willingly and very just, ‘Ok, bring the kid to the doctor.’ Like I was on the fence like I didn’t want to get my kid vaccinated but I was just like, I was afraid you know.”

He also refers to doctors as being “priesthoods of the medical cult.”

In one of the more chilling posts, Welsh suggests that it’s natural to let weaker individuals die after he said someone called officials on him for refusing to vaccinate his children.

“It didn’t seem smart that you would be saving people who weren’t the fittest. If evolution believes in survival of the fittest, why are we vaccinating everybody? Shouldn’t we just let the weak die off and let the strong survive?”

Welch and his wife have two additional children together, a 2-year-old and 4-year-old who are currently residing with Welch’s parents. CPS filed a neglect case regarding those children against Welch and Fusari August 6, according to WOOD-TV— the same day a judge ordered that they have no contact with the children.

The father said at the arraignment that he also has an 8-year-old child, though it isn’t clear who is caring for that child.

“That is a charge called felony homicide murder, it is life without parole” the judge tells the couple, after which Welch’s jaw completely drops while Fusari sobs uncontrollably, clutching her husband’s arm as they appear to be in a state of absolute shock.

Handmade signs strewn across the alleged killer couple’s farm property depict an unrelenting devotion to religion and their extreme beliefs.

In a post from February, Welch shares religious signs, calling them “one of the best ideas” of his life.

“Repent. Believe. Obey,” reads a message pasted in white.

Summing up what his ideal world looks like, Welch stated in a video,”I would love to see a commune of Christian disciples living off the grid somewhere, and just living free.”

[Feature image: Mary Ann Welch, Facebook]