Aneth Woman Indicted for Physically Abusing Her Twin Babies

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging the mother of twin three-month-old babies with child abuse charges after they were flown to Primary Children’s Hospital (PCH) from Blanding for severe injuries including a broken arm, multiple fractures and a severe brain hemorrhage, all allegedly caused by their mother who was their full-time caretaker.

Fayette Whitehorse, 27, of Aneth, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on August 26, 2026.

According to court documents, on August 24, 2026, the victims, who are twin siblings born May 18, 2026, were life-flighted from Blue Mountain Hospital located in Blanding, Utah, to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. The parents of the victims went to the hospital because one of the babies had a limp arm that caused her to cry out in pain. An x-ray was conducted on the baby’s arm, and she was diagnosed with a broken humerus. In the same x-ray, medical providers also noticed a fractured rib. Later testing showed that the baby girl also had a fractured knee. Based on her injuries, her twin brother was also screened and tested for injuries and a CT scan revealed a significant brain hemorrhage along with a fracture in his radius bone and fractures in different stages of healing on three of his ribs.

Whitehorse is charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse while within Indian Country. A jury trial is scheduled for November 10, 2026, at the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Monticello Resident Agency.

Assistant United States Attorneys Tanner Zumwalt and Sam Pead are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.