Mother Charged With Felony For Leaving Baby In Hot SUV

kbcitv.com ^

[chance33_98]

Mother Charged With Felony For Leaving Baby In Hot SUV

By Mike Keckler

BOISE -

Lori Ann Kelly could spend up to ten years in prison if convicted of felony involuntary manslaughter. The 30 year old mother accidently left her two month old son Hunter in the back seat of her SUV for eight hours, on one of the hottest days of the year.

She forgot to drop him off at daycare, instead parking her vehicle in a lot in West Boise and going off to work. The Ada County Coroner says temperatures inside the SUV reached 145 degrees that day and that Hunter was probably dead within an hour. "We felt that charges were appropriate in this case," said Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Shelley Armstrong. Prosecutors waited six weeks to bring charges saying the case took a good deal of research but they refuse to say if it was a tough call. "Whether or not it was a tough case to file, those are issues that will need to be answered by the judge that does the sentencing," said Armstrong.

A Magistrate Judge ruled that Kelly should stand trial after a brief probable cause hearing on Thursday.

Prosecutors outlined the facts of the case - briefly discussing whether postpartum depression was a possibility. Referring to a detective's interview with Kelly's mother, Armstrong suggested it wasn't. "She did not believe her daughter was suffering from any postpartum depression, regular depression, and had never been diagnosed with ADD OR ADHD," Armstrong said.

As Hunter lay outside in the car, prosecutors say his mother had two conversations with co-workers about the boy - one involving her supervisor. "He said on the day Hunter died, he talked to Lori about Hunter and how big he was getting. She also talked to him about Forrest, the older child and she seemed very happy to talk about both children," Armstrong told the judge.

But it wasn't until the end of the work day, when Kelly was back in her SUV pulling up to Hunter's day care that prosecutors say came the horrible realization of her mistake. "She remembers thinking to herself how did things go? She remembered and was visualizing that morning pulling into the day care and then had a bad feeling and looking into back seat through her rear view mirror and realized his infant car seat was still in the back seat of her car," said Armstrong.

Lori Kelly will be arraigned next Friday. Boise Attorney Mark Manweiler has been hired to represent her and said neither he, or his client had anything to say at this point. He did say he might make a brief statement after the arraignment.

[netmilsmom]

Oh geez, not another one....

[patton]

Sad story.

What should be done in such an instance?

[nygoose]

Do the Feds allow mothers to have their children in car seats in the front seat of the car? It would be harder to forget them if they were right next to the driver's seat.

[Mears]

Here we go again!

[patton]

I do not believe that the lady forgot her child. I have three kids - I have never forgotten one, anywhere.

Or if she did, she was on so many drugs as to not be sane.

[xJones]

It's those inflatable air bags on the newer cars. Even a small child sitting up front can be beheaded, as has happened.

I just don't understand how you can forget the baby in the back seat, no matter how busy you are.

[patton]

Lady, that tagline is sick.

[independentmind]

Where's the father? Let me guess. Kelly's not married.

[CapnMcK]

This is a tragedy we see too often. But would it have been any less tragic had the kid been left to die in a Eco-friendly electric car? What does the type of car have to do with the crime the mother committed? Or did the press just cynically use this as another opportunity to bash SUVs?

[mc5cents]

The 30 year old mother accidently left her two month old son Hunter in the back seat of her SUV for eight hours, on one of the hottest days of the year.

ACCIDENTLY!!! OMG. 2 months old!! 2 months old... Oh my word.

I say the penality should be 10 years and a hystorectomy. People like her should not have children.

[netmilsmom]

Sorry, it's an old Emo Phillips line. I'm shooting for three weeks in a row on the Tagline of the Week.

[Moosefart]

We have 4 kids and have never forgot any of them either. Damn, how hard is it to remember your most precious possession in the car with you? Bet she's never lost a credit card or her wallet.
Oh well people have their priorities.
I feel terrible for anyone who looses a child and I don't know all the circumstances but............damn.

[patton]

Personally, I think the mother is criminally insane, by definition. Lifelong trip to the rubber room seems in order.

One does not forget one's baby, like forgetting to take out the trash - I do not believe it is possible.

[SarahW]

It could happen to almost anyone, mother or father.

Car seats need alarms that ring when you open the driver's door of the car.

[dennisw]

How can can mama be so into herself not to be aware of her baby? Where her new 2 month old baby is and just thinking about him? I'm no shrink but this is egomania to the nth degree. Animals is the wild are more concerned with their offspring.

[drhogan]

this appears to have been an accident. yes, it was stupid or neglectful or crazily disorganized, but i don't think she did it on purpose. if it was accidental, and not intentional, i think we should pray for the entire family, not rush to judgement.

[luckystarmom]

I would never forget my kid for 8 hours.

[Allegra]

How can can mama be so into herself not to be aware of her baby?

You know, through all the horrible stories I've read like this one, I never thought of that angle and I think you've hit the nail on the head. It seems that people have become more self-obsessed and I think it could be due to all that "self-esteem" garbage they've cramming down kids' throats in the schools and media, etc. since somewhere around the 70s - 80's.