Police release details about Mississippi child who died after being left in hot car for hours

Published 5:16 pm Friday, August 23, 2019

Investigators on Friday identified the 21-month-old child who was found dead inside his father’s vehicle last Friday in north Mississippi.

Booneville Police responded to a 911 call from a daycare center made at approximately 5 p.m. on Aug. 16. When they arrived, they found the child, 21-month-old Lincoln Dodds, unresponsive and pronounced him dead at the scene, police reported Friday.

Investigators determined through interviews and video surveillance footage that Dodds was left in his father’s vehicle at his workplace after the father forgot to drop the young boy off at the daycare center that morning.

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As the father returned to the daycare after work at approximately 4:55 p.m. to pick up the boy, he discovered his son was still inside the vehicle.

Police say they learned that the father typically did not drop off Lincoln at the daycare, but was supposed to do so that day because his wife, the child’s mother, was out of town.

Police say the father passed the daycare on the way to work, arrived at work and completed the day there before heading to pick up his son when he realized the tragic fate of his son. Weather Underground reported the high temperature in the area was 96 degrees on Friday, making the temperature inside the hot car deadly.

The Mississippi State Medical Examiner said Lincoln’s cause of death was hyperthermia.

Booneville police officials said they will present the case to the next grand jury to determine if any criminal charges will be brought against the father

“This is a tragic and unintentional act which has affected our entire community,” Booneville Police Chief Michael Ramey wrote in a written news release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Lincoln’s family.”