Massachusetts babysitter has charges upgraded to murder after two-year-old dies after allegedly being left in a vehicle for hours

Charges were upgraded this week against a Massachusetts woman accused of leaving a young child in her care unattended in a vehicle.

According to Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois, in March 2025, the Dukes County Regional Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call from Aimee Cotton stating that a child whom she babysits for was not breathing and turning blue and was requesting assistance.

Upon the arrival of first responders, they found Cotton preforming CPR on the young toddler in the 2nd row passenger seat area. Oak Bluffs Police and EMS took over emergency lifesaving efforts and subsequently transported the toddler to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Emergency Room. The toddler was ultimately transported by Boston Medflight helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital in critical condition. 

On March 19th, 2025, the two-year-old victim, Frank Edward Rodenbaugh, succumbed to his injuries at Mass General Hospital.

According to the report released by NBC10 Boston, Cotton later admitted that the child had been in the car around three hours. She also admitted that she did not give the child food, water or supervision during that time.

A grand jury indicted Cotton Wednesday on charges of murder in the second degree and reckless endangerment of a child. She was previously charged with Manslaughter.

MassLive previously stated that the Rodenbaughs filed a lawsuit against Cotton claiming her “negligence caused their child to suffer severe pain and the family to incur medical expenses.”

“Ms. Cotton’s tortious acts and omissions included leaving Frank in a vehicle unattended for hours, strapped into a car seat outside of her residence on a March day with inadequate clothing and no food or water, until he suffered hypothermia and resulting cardiac arrest which ultimately proved fatal,” the suit alleges.

The playground at the Oak Bluffs School was later upgraded in Frankie’s honor.