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Martha’s Vineyard babysitter pleads not guilty in toddler’s death
On Tuesday, the Oak Bluffs woman pleaded not guilty in Dukes County Superior Court.
An Oak Bluffs babysitter charged with manslaughter after allegedly leaving a toddler unattended in her car, where he developed hypothermia and later died, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Dukes County Superior Court, according to court documents and a local news outlet.
Aimee Cotton, 40, is charged with manslaughter and reckless endangerment of a child, according to court documents.
Judge Maureen Hogan released Cotton on a $23,800 bail, with conditions that she wear a GPS monitoring device and have no contact with the affected family.
Cotton will next appear in court for her pretrial conference on Feb. 18.
Cotton’s attorney, Harrison Barrow, did not respond to a request for comment.
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According to the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, on March 13, Cotton called 911, saying the child she babysat for was not breathing and turning blue.
First responders found Cotton performing CPR on the toddler in a second-row passenger seat of the car. They transported the 2-year-old by medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital in critical condition.
The DA said the toddler ultimately succumbed to the injuries he sustained while being left in the unattended vehicle.
According to the Vineyard Gazette, which first reported on the arraignment, prosecutors told them that the child was later diagnosed with hyperthermia after nearly a week in intensive care.
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The Oak Bluffs police report states that security footage shows Cotton leaving two young children alone in the car for about three hours without food or water.
The DA’s office declined to share any information on the case, which is ongoing.
Court officials transferred Cotton’s Edgartown District Court case to Falmouth District Court because of an employee conflict.
According to Falmouth District Court documents, Cotton violated her release conditions when she failed to stay away from the victim’s family on April 7. A judge released Cotton on her prior recognizance.
A Dukes County Grand Jury returned indictments on Cotton’s charges on Sept. 23.
In a statement to the Gazette, the toddler’s father, Matt Rodenbaugh, said his family is remaining focused on seeking justice.
“Hearing the details continues to be heartbreaking, and it’s still difficult to comprehend how someone we trusted could allegedly do something so unthinkable,” Rodenbaugh wrote.
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