A Montana woman, 28-year-old Nichole Lynn Boyer, has been arrested and charged with deliberate homicide following the death of her special-needs toddler. Boyer allegedly confessed to law enforcement that she had stopped providing food and water to her 2-year-old son several weeks prior to his death, citing feelings of being overwhelmed.
The toddler, who was significantly disabled, suffered from a range of health conditions including spina bifida, club feet, and hydrocephalus, a condition that exerts considerable pressure on the brain. Boyer was taken into custody earlier this month after the Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office responded to a distress call about a deceased child at a residence in Lima, Montana.
Upon arrival at the scene, first responders were met with a disturbing sight. Boyer reportedly told them to “just take me to jail,” and the home was found to be in a state of severe neglect, filled with trash, rotten food, and animal waste. The smell of decomposing human remains was also noted by the deputies.
Emergency medical services directed the deputies to an upstairs bedroom where the deceased child was found amidst a pile of laundry, trash, and other items on the floor. The child was covered with a sweatshirt that Boyer later confirmed was hers. The child was in an advanced state of decomposition, and the room was described as filthy, with the air conditioner running despite the outside temperature being around 44 degrees.
During questioning, Boyer revealed that she used to check on her son multiple times a day but could not recall the events of the entire month of September. She made several comments about needing to go to jail during the interrogation. Boyer also admitted that she used to leave food on the ground for her son to crawl towards, as his medical condition prevented him from walking.
Boyer confessed that she had become overwhelmed in August with the care of her three other children and her father. This led to a decline in the care she provided for her disabled son, which she admitted had resulted in his death. She was unable to recall the last time she had fed her son or given him water, and she was unsure whether she had stopped providing sustenance before or after his death.
Boyer is currently being held without bond and is due to appear in court on Tuesday morning.