A 28-year-old Montana woman, Nichole Lynn Boyer, is facing charges of deliberate homicide following the tragic death of her special-needs toddler. Boyer reportedly confessed to authorities that she had ceased providing her 2-year-old son with food and water weeks before his death, attributing her actions to feelings of being overwhelmed.
The toddler, who was severely disabled, had a variety of health issues including spina bifida, club feet, and hydrocephalus, a condition that causes significant pressure on the brain. Earlier this month, Boyer was apprehended by the Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office after they responded to a distress call about a deceased child at a home in Lima, Montana.
Upon their arrival, first responders were confronted with a deeply unsettling scene. Boyer allegedly told them to “just take me to jail,” and the home was discovered to be in a state of extreme neglect, littered with garbage, spoiled food, and animal waste. The deputies also reported a strong odor of decomposing human remains.
Emergency medical services guided the deputies to an upstairs bedroom where they found the deceased child amidst a heap 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 her interrogation, Boyer disclosed that she used to check on her son multiple times a day but could not remember the events of the entire month of September. She made several comments about needing to go to jail during the questioning. Boyer also confessed that she used to leave food on the floor for her son to crawl towards, as his medical condition prevented him from walking.
Boyer admitted 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 acknowledged 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 scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday morning.