Mother who left him in car was medical doctor
A medical doctor, whose 17-month-old son died after being left for a day in the backseat of her car in Milton on July 24, will not be facing any criminal charges, according to the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations.
Authorities identified the dead toddler Friday afternoon as Ezra Bode of St. Albans City, CUSI said.
The preliminary findings are Bode died from hyperthermia (overheating) due to environmental exposure, according to Burlington Detective Lt. Richard Weinisch, the director of CUSI.
Weinisch said the final cause and manner of death for Bode are still pending additional laboratory testing by the Office of Vermont’s Chief Medical Examiner.
Bode’s mother was not identified by name, but is a doctor at the UVM Family Medical Office at 28 Centre Drive on Milton, officials said.
His 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,” Weinisch said in the news release.
The ABC Daycare Academy is on U.S. 7 in Milton, not far from the medical office.
The UVM Medical Center officials have not told patients or issued a public statement on whether they have removed the doctor from her medical post while the death investigation continues.
The medical office has a large parking area for the public in front and to the left of the building with patients frequently in and out. Staff parking is in a small, designated area off the right side of the building with limited foot traffic.
The toddler, who was found in his car seat in the vehicle a few minutes after 5 p.m. July 24, was unresponsive and non-breathing, CUSI and Milton Police have said. Milton Rescue, which is located at the municipal complex just down the street on Bombardier Road, was summoned.
With Milton and South Burlington Police clearing the roadway for the 15-mile trip, Milton Rescue personnel provided lifesaving efforts on Bode as he was rushed to the UVM Medical Center in Burlington, officials said. Lifesaving efforts stopped upon arrival at the hospital, Milton Police had reported.
The office of Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George has indicated she believes there is no probable cause under the law to file any criminal charge, CUSI said in the news release.
The news release did not say whether convening a county grand jury for an independent review for the unusual death case had been considered, or if CUSI sought a second legal opinion from the criminal division of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office. The Vermont AG’s office has successfully prosecuted 3 homicide cases that George refused to tackle.
CUSI consulted with the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF), Weinisch said.
Weather records show temperatures in the Burlington area were in the low 80s for much of the work day on July 24.
Child deaths are tough on first responders, medical personnel and the general public, Weinisch noted in his news release.
“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,” he wrote.
Police and medical personnel across the state since the death have said they were unable to recall a similar tragic case in Vermont history.
The unusual nature of the case had generated considerable community discussion, including why police opted to withhold standard public information for more than two weeks. There also are numerous concerns or questions whether the mother/doctor is getting special treatment because of her medical position.
Milton Police, the initial responding police agency, reported CUSI had directed them not to provide the community with any details after an initial brief news release.
Law enforcement, medical personnel and even animal groups have issued frequent safety reminders about not leaving children, the elderly or animals inside cars, especially on warm days.
Weinisch said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has done extensive research on this issue and is currently working with vehicle manufacturers to standardize vehicle reminder alerts to check the back seat. He said further information and statistics can be found at https://www.nhtsa.gov/…/you-can-help-prevent-hot-car….
CUSI also reported on Friday the child was 17 months old. Milton Police in the initial news release had said 18 months old.
CUSI is an intermunicipal police unit established to handle special investigations, including sex crimes and child abuse cases in Chittenden County. It was started with a focus on protecting children and public education. Larger communities assign detectives to CUSI, while smaller towns in the county provide tax dollars for annual expenses.