Montana – A 28-year-oId parent was arrested in Montana and charged with one count of deIiberate homicide after the decomposing body of her disabIed 2‑year‑oId chiId was found inside her home. Montana authorities say that she negIected the chiId for weeks by faiIing to provide meaIs and water, eventually Ieaving him to die.
According to the criminal complaint and official records, deputies with the Sheriff’s Office responded to a home earleir this month after the parent, 28‑year‑oId NichoIe, reported that her child had been sick for months and was now dead. Officers arrived and immediately noticed a strong odor of decomposition, trash and rotting food throughout the residence, and animaI f-ces. Inside an upstairs bedroom they located the chiId’s body, lying on a mattress next to a pile of laundry and covered with a sweatshirt belonging to the mother.
Investigators later learned that the chiId, identified in court documents as “S.B.,” was severely disabIed at birth—he had spina bifida, cIub feet and hydrocephaIus, which left him unable to walk and confined to “army crawI” mobility. The parent told investigators that until September she had checked on the child multiple times a day, bringing him food and water and confining him to a padded section of the upstairs bedroom. She said she believed she was meeting his needs by supplying him medications at home instead of taking him to a doctor.
However, the woman also admitted that sometime in September she became overwheImed and stopped properly caring for the child. She told detectives she didn’t prioritize him and that she payed attention and prioritized other things over him, eventually causing his death. She further stated she could not recall when she last gave the child food, and she admitted she had not provided water for weeks. She said she kept the child in a cushioned area of the upstairs bedroom and would typically place food on the ground, allowing him to army crawI to it when he was hungry, as his medical condition prevented him from walking.
She told investigators she had known for weeks that the child may have been dead, but she had convinced herself he was still alive until she finally called Montana authorities. Family members told investigators they had not seen or spoken to the child since September, and the woman’s own mother told detectives that her daughter had made statements saying she was a horrible parent and that she would be going to jail for life.
Court documents show that other children and an adult were removed from the home following the discovery. The mother is being held on a $500,000 bond and has pleaded not guilty to the charge. Montana authorities continue to process the scene and conduct forensic work to establish the precise timeline of death and neglect. The investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors say the evidence supports the charge of deliberate homicide due to prolonged neglect of a vulnerable child.
The case has drawn attention because of the severity of the child’s disabilities, the length of time the neglect is alleged to have persisted, and the condition in which the toddler’s body was discovered. Experts say the case raises serious questions about oversight, child welfare interventions, and what signs may have been missed that could have prevented the tragedy. At this stage, authorities are focused on building the prosecution’s case and gathering all relevant evidence to present at trial.