A 2-year-old boy allegedly died after being left for hours inside a frigid car on Martha’s Vineyard while his babysitter was inside cooking bacon, according to claims surrounding the case.
Frank “Frankie” Rodenbaugh died after he was reportedly left alone in a vehicle for three hours in March 2025. His babysitter, 41-year-old Aimee Cotton, was charged earlier this week with second-degree murder.
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Frankie’s parents, Julie and Matthew Rodenbaugh, and reviewed by Our News Outlet, says the toddler suffered hypothermia and cardiac arrest.
Matthew Rodenbaugh told the Boston Globe this week: “My 2-year-old son, Frankie, died calling out my name.
“I was not there when he needed me most. So I made him this promise after his death: I will be there for him now, and forever.
“I will never stop fighting for Frankie and advocating for the highest measure of justice in his case.”
Frank “Frankie” Rodenbaugh, 2, died after allegedly being left unattended inside a vehicle for hours in March 2025.
Frankie was first brought to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital before being transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he died six days later on March 19.
Cotton was previously charged with manslaughter and child endangerment in October 2025 and pleaded not guilty to both counts.
She was released on bail.
A police report seen by the outlet said that on the day Frankie died, Cotton dialed 911 and reported that the youngster was not breathing and had turned blue.
She initially told investigators she left the tot and a one-year-old girl in the vehicle for 15 minutes before finding the boy unresponsive.
Investigators later uncovered surveillance footage from her own home, however, that showed the two children sat in the vehicle for around three hours.
She then told officers that while the kids sat in the car she was cooking bacon, preparing her son’s hockey equipment and doing household chores, the report said.
Aimee Cotton, 41, was indicted this week on a second-degree murder charge
According to the police report, the surveillance footage showed her arrive back at her home at 9:22am and bring items from the vehicle into the house.
Police said that over the next three hours Cotton ‘is not seen going to her vehicle, nor is anyone seen exiting the vehicle.’
At around 12:15pm Cotton was seen taking the girl inside for 10 minutes before returning to the vehicle, police said.
For an hour, she was then seen carrying multiple items from the house to the vehicle, which police said included hockey equipment.
At 1:15 she was then seen opening the rear passenger door of the car and first responders arrived not long after, police said in their report.
Frankie was taken to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and later taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston where he died six days later on March 19.
Frankie is seen here with his father Matthew, who said in a statement this week that his young son died calling out his name
According to a wrongful death suit seen by Our News Outlet, Frankie was hypothermic and suffered a cardiac arrest
When confronted with the discrepancies, police said in their report that she acknowledged leaving the kids unsupervised in the vehicle.
She also acknowledged to officers that she did not provide them with food or water during this time, police said.
The wrongful death suit was filed in January and alleged that she misled emergency teams about the circumstances surrounding his death.
In June, a judge issued a stay in the suit pending the outcome of the criminal case held against her.
An indictment was returned on Wednesday, with Cotton to be arraigned inside Dukes Superior Court in Edgartown in October.
An attorney for the Rodenbaugh family told the Boston Globe: ‘It has been an honor to represent Matt Rodenbaugh and watch his relentless fight for his son.
‘I commend law enforcement for its sustained and continued efforts on the case.’
The Daily Mail reached out to the Rodenbaugh family for further comment.
