Death of 22-month-old ruled homicide

Local law enforcement officials are trying to figure out who killed a little girl, just two months before her second birthday.

Rylee Sellars, 22 months, of Germantown, was pronounced dead at Children's Hospital in Dayton on Nov. 15 and her death was ruled a homicide.

"There was suspicious activity," Maj. Matthew Burns of the Germantown Police Department said. "As far as abuse or blunt trauma."

Blunt force trauma to the head is what officials with the Montgomery County Coroner's Office said killed Sellars, after performing an autopsy.

Medics were called to Windcliff Drive on Nov. 13 on reports of a child with an unknown illness. "She's not alert at all. She's not talking. She's limp," said Jesse York, the boyfriend of Sellars's mother, in a 911 call.

Burns has been with the Germantown P.D. for over 25 years and said he's never investigated a homicide before this.

"I believe the last homicide was approximately 33 years ago," he said.

He said they are working with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office on the case. "We want to make sure no stone's left unturned," he said.

Sellars was with York and her mother, Helen Thompson, when the 911 call was made. Montgomery County Children's Services are also working on the case.

Sellars's had a six-year-old sister but officials wouldn't specify who she was living with while the investigation is carried out, just adding "it is not uncommon" for underage siblings to be given to friends or relatives in a violent case like this.

"That is what usually happens if someone is not in custody and could have access to the child," Children's Services spokesperson Kevin Lavoie said.

No arrests have been made in the case.

Neighbors that knew Sellars expressed shock at hearing about her death.

"It was unbelievable to think that I had just seen her the day before," Jon Propps said in an interview. Propps and his wife live two doors down from where the incident happened and frequently babysat the girl.

"Now she's not here and it's tough to think about it," Propps said.

A funeral for Sellars was held on Nov. 19.