Mother forgot to drop him off at daycare, police say

On the evening of Wednesday, July 24 the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations (CUSI) was contacted by the Milton Police Department and referred a case involving the death of a 17-month-old child on Centre Drive in Milton, the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations reported Friday, August 9.

The case was accepted by CUSI for further investigation in conjunction with the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). The decedent, identified as Ezra Bode, 1, of St Albans City was found in his child seat inside of a vehicle shortly after 5 PM. The weeks long investigation revealed that the child’s mother forgot to drop him off at daycare on her way to work and he was subsequently left inside of a parked vehicle during her workday.

While the final cause and matter of death are still pending additional laboratory testing by the OCME, the preliminary
findings are hyperthermia (overheating) due to environmental exposure.

CUSI has consulted extensively with the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office on this matter and both agencies have come to the joint consensus that there is no probable cause to file criminal charges in this case.

A CUSI spokesperson added: “In addition to the unimaginable grief and trauma this family has suffered, I would like to caution the media on the effects of secondary trauma, noting that this story may be difficult for readers/viewers to hear. This investigation has taken an emotional toll on the first responders, the investigators, DCF, and everyone else that has been involved.”