Louisiana Father Charged With Murder After Leaving Toddler in Hot Car Nine Hours

Joseph Boatman, a Louisiana father, has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly leaving his 21-month-old daughter strapped in a car seat inside a hot vehicle for over nine hours, resulting in her death. The incident occurred after Boatman, who had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages, picked up his daughter early Sunday morning but went inside a nearby residence instead of removing her from the car. The child was found unresponsive by a family member around noon in Madisonville, where temperatures reached 95 degrees with a heat index of 105 degrees. Authorities highlighted the rapid danger posed by heat in vehicles, noting that children's body temperatures rise much faster than adults', making such situations deadly within minutes. This tragic death marks the fifth hot-car child fatality in the U.S. this year, underscoring the ongoing risk and need for increased awareness. The St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.