A 40-year-old Virginia woman has been charged with murder after she allegedly left an 11-month-old infant and a dog in a hot car, resulting in their deaths. Kristen Danielle Graham, 40, is facing a murder charge, with one felony count, and is currently held without bond at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
Graham was entrusted with the care of 11-month-old Myrical Wicker by the child's 17-year-old mother for two days. The child had been left unattended in the car for eight and a half hours. Emergency room staff at Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News found the child dead inside a black plastic bag in the back of the car.
Not a Caregiver
Authorities report that around 1 am on September 12, Graham received a phone call from her friend, who requested her to bring cigarettes. The friend was unable to purchase them personally as she was attending to an elderly person in Newport News at that moment.
Graham placed the child and the dog in the back of the car, and went to a 7-Eleven to purchase cigarettes. Subsequently, she spent a 'considerable' amount of time at her friend's home.
She then drove back to York County at 8 am and left the baby and the dog in the car with the windows closed. Around 2:30 pm, she "woke up" when she received a phone call and went outside to check the well-being of the dog and baby.
By that time, both the baby and the dog had succumbed to the conditions and were found dead. According to court documents, 80-year-old Paul Kudlaty brought the deceased infant to Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital wrapped in a trash bag. He is not currently facing any charges.
Just Like a Criminal
The sheriff said that Graham has provided inconsistent explanations regarding why the child and dog were left in the vehicle. The office is actively investigating whether she intentionally entered the house and left them both in the car.
Sheriff Montgomery said in his statement: "These are not typical situations that we deal with in York County, and when you do come across the death of a child, it affects everyone — the investigators, the law enforcement people there, the EMS people that have to respond to these types of things.
"And I can tell you that the mood of the agency today when we had a briefing on it this morning is somewhat shock and disbelief, even though we're professionals and we have to do everything we possibly can do to do a thorough, professional investigation."
The sheriff said that investigators are working to determine the temperature inside the vehicle before the discovery of the two deceased bodies. He noted that Graham frequently babysat the child and took care of a 'friend of a friend's baby.'
However, the police have not revealed the identity of the 17-year-old mother or provided information about the dog involved in the incident.
