Montana Mother Charged After Toddler Found Dead and Decomposing on Laundry Pile Inside Family Home

DILLON, MONT. — A 28-year-old Montana mother has been charged with deliberate homicide after police discovered her two-year-old son’s decomposing body inside a filthy home in Lima earlier this month.

Authorities say Nichole Lynn Boyer called 911 on October 16 to report that her toddler had died — but when officers arrived, they were immediately struck by the strong smell of human decomposition coming from inside the house.

According to court documents obtained by KXIF, Boyer met officers at the door and said only:

“Just take me to jail.”

Inside, investigators found the body of Boyer’s son — identified in court records as S.B. — lying on top of a pile of laundry and trash in an upstairs bedroom. The child’s body was covered by a sweatshirt that Boyer said belonged to her.

Officials described the home as being in “poor condition,” filled with piles of garbage, rotting food, and animal feces.

Child Found in “Advanced State of Decomposition”

The sheriff’s report noted that the boy had been deceased for weeks before Boyer made the emergency call. The air conditioning unit in the child’s room was running despite outdoor temperatures hovering around 44°F, keeping the room cold and worsening the state of the remains.

Court documents reveal the boy suffered from severe medical conditions, including spina bifida, club feet, and hydrocephalus. Boyer reportedly told investigators that she cared for him in a padded section of an upstairs room and left his food and water nearby so he could “army crawl” to it.

However, she allegedly admitted that she stopped checking on him regularly in September, telling officers she had become “overwhelmed and stopped caring.”

“Boyer said that at some point in September, she got overwhelmed and stopped caring for the child,” investigators wrote. “When asked why, she stated that she ‘didn’t prioritize him.’”

She later confessed she couldn’t remember the last time she saw him eat and admitted she hadn’t taken him to a doctor over the summer because she believed she could manage his care alone.

“I Convinced Myself He Was Still Alive”

Investigators said Boyer knew her son was dead for several weeks but “convinced herself he was still alive.” During interviews, she claimed she had been struggling to care for three other sick children in the home, as well as her ailing father.

Authorities removed the other children and an adult from the residence while the investigation continues.

Court Appearance and Charges

Boyer appeared before a judge in Beaverhead County District Court in Dillon on Tuesday, where she pleaded not guilty to the charge of deliberate homicide. She remains in custody on a $500,000 bond and is expected to appear again at a later date.

The Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that state child welfare officials have been brought in to assess the safety of the surviving minors.

The investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors have not yet disclosed whether additional charges could be filed.

For the latest updates on this case and other breaking crime news, visit SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.