Coroner identifies infant twins found dead in vehicle outside SC
daycare
BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. (WCSC) -
Authorities say two infant twin brothers found in a vehicle
Wednesday afternoon may have been in that vehicle for up to
nine-and-a-half hours.
The Richland County Coroner’s
Office said autopsies have been performed on 20-month-old
brothers Bryson and Braden McDaniel.
The Richland County
Sheriff’s Office said they received calls about two unresponsive
infants that led them to the facility on Wilson Boulevard
shortly after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Deputies found the two babies
inside a vehicle, and both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said until all
forensic test results are complete, the cause of death will be
listed as pending further studies.
“But it is probable
that their deaths were due to hyperthermia,” she said.
Investigators say they do not believe the Sunshine Academy staff
where the students were enrolled were involved or in any way
complicit in the children’s death.
The children were
discovered by one of the parents, she said. No criminal charges
have been filed in the case so far.
“I’ll tell you this.
We have two very distraught parents,” she said. “Two very
distraught parents.”
She said authorities believe the
vehicle had not been parked at the daycare all day.
“We
believe the children were possibly placed in the vehicle at
around 7:30 or 8 a.m.,” she said.
She said the vehicle
arrived at the daycare center at approximately 5:30 p.m. and
that EMS was dispatched there at approximately 5:40 p.m.
“If this is an unfortunate accident, we pray the family can find
peace,” Rutherford said. “But if it was a criminal act, we will
help get justice for these babies.”