A nanny in Martha’s Vineyard faces charges of manslaughter after allegedly leaving two young children in her care unattended inside her SUV for hours, leading to the tragic death of one of the children.
Aimee Cotton, aged 41, was taken into custody on March 13 by law enforcement on accusations of assaulting and causing harm to a child and displaying reckless behavior, as detailed in an arrest report issued by the Massachusetts State Police.
She was later charged with manslaughter when one of the children, a 3-year-old, died on March 19. The child has not been named.
Victorian gingerbread cottages in Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Law enforcement stated that there was approximately a three-hour gap in activity as captured on Nest camera footage, during which she proceeded to load hockey equipment into the SUV around noon. Throughout the subsequent hour, she continued loading the vehicle and briefly brought the surviving younger child indoors for around 10 minutes before returning the child to the car.
That is when she called 911 to report the unresponsive victim.
The next morning, state troopers brought Cotton in for questioning, where she capitulated and told officers that she left the children in the car for about three hours while she cooked herself food, attended to her personal hygiene, packed her son’s hockey equipment and completed other chores.
Massachusetts State Police ultimately arrested Aimee Cotton on manslaughter charges on March 20. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe)
The arrest report noted that Cotton showed remorse, but also made excuses for her behavior.
She was initially arrested on March 14 for assault and battery on a child with injury and reckless endangerment. She was booked into the Dukes County Jail and arraigned later that day.
On March 20, the day after the child died, she was arraigned in Edgartown District Court on the charge of manslaughter.
Edgartown Lighthouse, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. (iStock)
Cotton pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge and posted $21,000 bail. She was released with a GPS ankle monitor. She was also given a mandatory 6 p.m. curfew.
Cotton faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Her next court date is scheduled for April 3.
Harrison Barrow III, Cotton’s attorney, declined to comment.
