Martha's Vineyard toddler 'died calling out dad's name' after being left in COLD car by babysitter now charged with his murder

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:54, 21 August 2026 | Updated: 13:58, 21 August 2026 A little boy died while calling out his father's name after being left in a freezing car by a Martha's Vineyard babysitter who was cooking bacon, it is claimed.   Frank 'Frankie' Rodenbaugh, 2, lost his life after being left unattended in a vehicle for three hours in March of 2025, it is alleged. His babysitter Aimee Cotton, 41, was charged with second-degree murder earlier this week.  According to a wrongful death suit filed by his parents Julie and Matthew and seen by the Daily Mail, Frankie died of hypothermia and a cardiac arrest.  In a statement to the Boston Globe this week, Matthew said: '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 being left unattended in a vehicle for hours in March of 2025 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 Cotton was previously charged with manslaughter and child endangerment in October 2025 and pleaded not guilty to both counts.  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 the Daily Mail, 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.