Court records describe an unheated Milford home, prior child-welfare investigations and missed medical appointments before the 13-month-old girl’s death.
MILFORD, Maine — A Maine father has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and child endangerment charges after his 13-month-old daughter died of hypothermia inside an unheated home in December, a death that has also renewed scrutiny of the state’s earlier contacts with the family.
Shane McLaughlin, 37, was arrested Oct. 28, about 10 months after the death of his daughter, Eleanora Ray McLaughlin. A Penobscot County grand jury indicted him on one count of manslaughter and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. McLaughlin pleaded not guilty Oct. 30 in Penobscot County Superior Court. The Maine Office of Chief Medical Examiner determined that Eleanora died from hypothermia and classified the manner of death as accidental. The criminal charges are allegations, and prosecutors must prove them beyond a reasonable doubt.
New details contained in a Maine State Police probable cause affidavit and discussed at a Nov. 4 bail hearing describe conditions inside the Milford home on Dec. 28, 2025. Police said the house had no heat or running water and measured about 18 degrees when first responders arrived. McLaughlin and his three children had been sleeping in one bedroom, where a space heater was being used for warmth. McLaughlin told investigators that he could see his breath when he woke that morning.
According to the police affidavit, McLaughlin’s older son woke around 4:30 a.m. and asked for a drink. McLaughlin then found Eleanora unresponsive in her playpen. Her twin sister also showed signs of hypothermia when emergency medical workers arrived but returned to a normal body temperature after being warmed and taken to a hospital. The older boy was not reported to have suffered hypothermia.
The affidavit also describes concerns about the children’s medical care in the weeks before Eleanora’s death. Investigators said McLaughlin missed several medical appointments while the Maine Department of Health and Human Services was investigating the family. One concern involved an infection on Eleanora’s foot, and police records said health professionals had previously raised concerns about the children’s growth, development and medical care. Those assertions are part of the state’s case and have not been proven at trial.
The family had been the subject of two DHHS investigations during 2025, according to court testimony and police records. One began in July, while another was opened in November after a pediatrician raised concerns about whether recommendations from medical providers were being followed. The second investigation included an announced home visit. It was closed Dec. 22, six days before Eleanora died, without a finding of neglect. Testimony at the bail hearing indicated the worker who visited the property did not inspect the entire home or verify whether it had running water.
A new child-welfare investigation began shortly after Eleanora’s death. The two surviving children were later placed with their maternal grandmother. A DHHS report completed in January substantiated findings of abuse and neglect against McLaughlin, according to the police affidavit. Before his arrest, McLaughlin had participated in services and progressed to unsupervised visits with his surviving children as part of the department’s reunification process.
At the Nov. 4 bail hearing, Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Ackerman pointed to the conditions investigators described inside the home and said an additional space heater and extra blankets were available. Defense attorney James Howaniec argued that Eleanora’s death was a tragic accident tied to poverty, not a crime. He said McLaughlin had applied for heating assistance before the death and was still waiting for help. The defense also said the bedroom space heater apparently stopped working overnight for reasons that remain unclear.
McLaughlin initially was ordered held on $250,000 cash bail. Superior Court Justice Bruce Mallonee indicated during the hearing that he expected to lower the amount but wanted more information about where McLaughlin would live and how release conditions would be monitored before issuing a final decision. McLaughlin remained in the Penobscot County Jail while those questions were being considered.
The criminal case remains pending in Penobscot County Superior Court. The circumstances of Eleanora’s death and the state’s earlier child-welfare contacts with the family continue to draw scrutiny as prosecutors pursue the charges and officials review how concerns involving the children were handled before her death.