Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Nichole Lynn Boyer, 28, was arrested after son's body was found in laundry.
- Boyer allegedly stopped caring for her disabled son in September 2023, court documents state.
- Family members hadn't seen him since September, police said. Boyer allegedly told police neglect led to his death.
DILLON, Mont. — A Montana mother has been arrested and charged after police discovered the decomposing body of her 2-year-old son inside their home.
Nichole Lynn Boyer, 28, is charged with one count of deliberate homicide and is being held in the Beaverhead County Jail on $500,000 bond.
Boyer called dispatchers on Oct. 16 to report that her son, identified as S.B. in court documents, had been sick for months and had died, according to an affidavit. When a Beaverhead County sheriff's deputy arrived at the home on Main Street in Lima, Boyer allegedly said, "Just take me to jail."
Court documents said investigators immediately noticed a strong odor of decomposition inside the home, which was described as being in "poor condition" with piles trash, rotten food and animal feces. The child's body was found in an upstairs bedroom on a pile of laundry and trash next to a mattress. He was covered with a sweatshirt that Boyer said belonged to her.
The bedroom was described as filthy, with an air conditioning unit running, despite the temperature being around 44 degrees that day.
S.B. had spina bifida, club feet, and hydrocephalus that left him severely disabled and unable to walk, court documents said. Boyer told investigators that she kept him confined to an upstairs room and checked on him several times a day to deliver food and water, but later admitted she stopped caring for him in September.
"I believe I should have done more," Boyer reportedly told investigators, court documents say. "My lack of not paying attention and prioritizing other things over him led to him dying."
During an interview with agents from the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation, Boyer allegedly told investigators she kept her son in a padded section of an upstairs bedroom, placing his water in a "to-go" bottle and setting his food on the floor so he could "army crawl" to get it.
"She gave S.B. Tylenol over the summer, but then stopped in September because she didn't want to give him too much Tylenol. She did not take him to the doctor for any of the illnesses he suffered over the summer because she felt like she had everything she needed at home to care for him, including medications," court documents said. "Boyer said that she would check on him during the day, but that she slept downstairs at night with her other child. Boyer said that at some point in September, she got overwhelmed and stopped caring for the child. When asked why, she stated that she 'didn't prioritize him.'"
Boyer allegedly said she stopped giving her son water sometime last month and could not remember the last time he ate, police said. Investigators said she told them she had known for weeks he was dead but "convinced herself he was still alive" until finally calling authorities.
Family members interviewed by investigators said they had not seen or spoken to the child since September. Boyer's mother told detectives that her daughter made statements suggesting she was "a horrible mother" and would be "going to jail for life," court documents state.
Other children and an adult have been removed from the home.
Boyer is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Tuesday at 9 a.m.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
- The Utah Division of Child and Family Services offers counseling, teaches parenting skills and conflict resolution and can connect families with community resources. Its goal is to keep children with their family when it is "possible and safe." Visit dcfs.utah.gov/contact-us/ or call 801-538-4100.
- The Christmas Box House acts as a temporary shelter for children and can provide them with new clothing and shoes, among other services. Call the Salt Lake office at 801-747-2201 or the Ogden office at 801-866-0350.
