- Graham, 40, has been charged with murder for leaving an 11-month-old child in a car, causing his death
- She was caring for the child, named Myrical Wicker, for her 17-year-old mother
- Officials are awaiting the baby’s autopsy results to see if the charge should be upgraded to murder
A 40-year-old Virginia woman has been charged with murder for leaving an 11-month-old child and a dog in a hot car, resulting in her death.
Kristen Danielle Graham, 40, has been charged with murder and is being held without bond at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
Graham was given responsibility for 11-month-old Myrical Wicker by her 17-year-old mother for two days.
She had been alone in the car for about eight and a half hours.
The child was found dead in a black plastic bag in the back of a car by emergency room staff at Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News.
Kristen Danielle Graham, 40, is accused of leaving an 11-month-old child and a dog in a hot car, resulting in their deaths
Myrical Wicker’s 17-year-old mother left her with Graham to babysit for two days. The dog belonged to Graham
Officials say Graham received a call from her friend around 1 a.m. on September 12 asking her to bring cigarettes.
Her friend couldn’t buy them herself because she was caring for an elderly person in Newport News at the time.
Graham put the child and dog in the back of the car, went to a 7-Eleven to get the cigarettes and spent “considerable” time with her friend.
She then drove back to York County at 8 a.m., leaving the baby and dog in the car with the windows open. At around 2.30pm, Graham ‘woke up’ when she received a phone call and went outside to check on the dog and baby.
Both the baby and the dog were dead at the time.
Sheriff Ron Montgomery said officials are waiting on the baby’s autopsy results to decide whether to upgrade the charge to murder.
Graham left the baby and dog in the car with the windows open at 8 a.m. Around 2:30 PM she ‘woke up’ and went outside to look at the dog and the baby. Both were already dead by then
Court documents show 80-year-old Paul Kudlaty took the deceased child to Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital in a garbage bag. He is not being charged.
The sheriff added that Graham has given conflicting statements about why the child and dog were left in the vehicle.
He said the office is investigating whether she deliberately entered the house and left them both in the car.
Sheriff Montgomery went on to say in his statement, “These are not typical situations we deal with in York County, and when you encounter the death of a child, it impacts everyone – the investigators, the law enforcement people there, the EMTs. who have to respond to things like this.
“And I can tell you that the mood at the agency today, when we had a briefing on it this morning, is somewhat of shock and disbelief, even though we are professionals and we have to do everything we can to have a thorough, professional investigation.” ‘
He said investigators are trying to find out how hot the inside of the vehicle might have been before the two dead bodies were discovered.
The sheriff said Graham often babysat the child and cared for her “friend of a friend’s baby.”
Police officials have not released the 17-year-old mother’s name or information about the dog.