DILLON, Mont. A Montana courtroom saw a solemn scene yesterday. A 28-year-old mother, Nichole Lynn Boyer, pleaded not guilty to a charge of deliberate homicide. The charge stems from the horrifying discovery of her disabled 3-year-old son’s body.
Police found the toddler deceased in a shocking state. His body was decomposing. It was hidden under a sweatshirt in a pile of laundry and trash inside the home.
The case details are disturbing.
Court records obtained by NBC Montana reveal Boyer’s statements. She told investigators she had simply “shut down.” She admitted to being “overwhelmed” by the stress of caring for her special-needs son, her other children, and her father.
Her son was nonverbal. He suffered from severe conditions: spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and clubfeet. He could not walk.
The mother allegedly stopped feeding him weeks before his death. She began keeping the boy alone in a room back in August. She left food out for him to “army crawl” to reach.
The tragedy came to light when Boyer herself called the police on October 16. She immediately stated, “Just take me to jail.”
Beaverhead County deputies arrived at the residence. The odor of human decomposition was immediately noticeable.
The conditions inside the home were appalling, according to deputies. “The entirety of the home was in poor condition,” court records state. The floors and surfaces were covered in trash, rotten food, and animal waste. An air conditioner was running despite the outdoor temperature being in the 40s.
Boyer admitted to a terrible choice. After her son died, she simply placed him in the room. She never notified anyone. She never sought help.
The boy had previously been in social services custody. He was returned to his mother.
Boyer’s own words are damning. According to the affidavit, she confessed to deliberately neglecting his care. “I believe I should have done more,” she said. “My lack of not paying attention and prioritizing other things over him led to him dying.”
The other children living at the home have since been removed.
Investigators are still waiting for official autopsy results. This will determine the toddler’s exact cause of death.
Boyer is currently held on a $500,000 bond. Her defense team has made one unusual request: a furlough if a ceremony is held to inter the child’s remains. If convicted of deliberate homicide, the mother faces a lengthy prison sentence—anywhere from 10 to 100 years.