Toddler discovered lifeless in pile of laundry and garbage as mum says ‘I ought to have finished extra’
Nichole Lynn Boyer is accused of letting her disabled toddler starve to death has pleaded not guilty to murder after police found the boy’s decomposing body hidden in filthy piles of laundry and rubbish
A negligent mum has denied killing her disabled toddler after police made a grim discovery at the family’s home. Nichole Lynn Boyer, who was reportedly “overwhelmed” by her responsibilities, has now lost custody of her other children.
She has now entered a not guilty plea to deliberate homicide after police discovered her disabled three-year-old son’s body decomposing in a pile of laundry and rubbish, according to reports. The 28-year-old mother reportedly admitted to investigators that she’d stopped feeding her nonverbal, special-needs son weeks before his tragic death.
The mum reportedly further admitted she felt “overwhelmed” by the demands of looking after him, her other children, and her father.
Boyer contacted police on October 16 and told them, “Just take me to jail”. When Beaverhead County deputies arrived at her residence in Montana, in the US, they immediately noticed the smell of decomposition.
Inside, deputies found the toddler’s decomposing body in an upstairs bedroom, concealed under one of Boyer’s sweatshirts amid a pile of laundry and trash, court records obtained by NBC Montana revealed. The records reportedly described the home as being in extremely poor condition.
Official reports stated: “The entirety of the home was in poor condition. The floor and surfaces throughout the home were covered in trash and rotten food, as well as animal urine and faeces.”
Boyer allegedly told authorities that after her son died, she placed him in a room and did not notify anyone or seek help. The boy had previously been in the custody of social services before being returned to Boyer.
The mum reportedly admitted to police that she had “shut down” and stopped caring for her child. According to True Crime News, investigators said Boyer began isolating the child in a room starting in August.
The alleged isolation consisted of leaving food out for him to reach by “army crawling”, as his spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and clubfeet prevented him from walking. An affidavit further stated Boyer confessed to intentionally neglecting her son.
The mum reportedly said: “I believe I should have done more. My lack of not paying attention and prioritising other things over him led to him dying.”
Boyer’s other children in the home have since been removed. Investigators are reportedly now awaiting autopsy results to confirm the toddler’s cause of death.
The mum is consequently being held on a $500,000 [approximately £393,000] bond. Moreover, her defence has reportedly requested a furlough if there is a ceremony for the child’s remains.
If found guilty, Boyer faces a possible sentence of 10 to 100 years in prison.
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