Milford, ME — A Pennsylvania woman is facing manslaughter charges after police say her three-year-old daughter and the family’s dog were found dead inside a hot car in Maine over the weekend.
Victims Found in Locked Car
According to The Independent, Kelly Brown, 40, of Havertown, Pennsylvania, appeared Monday at the Penobscot Judicial Center in Bangor. She was charged with manslaughter following the Saturday evening discovery of her daughter and the family’s 13-year-old dog, Penelope, in a vehicle parked outside a Milford business.
Maine State Police said both were found unresponsive inside the locked vehicle. Officers broke a front window to get inside but were unable to save them.
“Autopsy results revealed the child likely died from being left in the car for nearly 15 hours,” court documents stated. The high temperature in Milford that day reached 82 degrees.
Family Reported Missing Before Tragic Discovery
Brown and her daughter had been visiting family in Maine. After several days without contact, Brown’s mother reported them missing. Deputies with the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office later found the car and made the tragic discovery.
Shortly afterward, officers located Brown nearby and detained her. She was arrested around 5 a.m. Sunday.
Bizarre Behavior and Conflicting Story
Court records detail unusual behavior from Brown in the days before the deaths. Her mother told police she had been posting “bizarre” content on social media.
During interviews, Brown claimed she had been hallucinating and hearing voices telling her what to do. She told investigators she and her daughter were camping in the car and cleaning up trash when she left the toddler and dog inside to go collect garbage. Brown alleged she slipped, fell into the Penobscot River, and was swept away.
However, officers noted her clothing was dry and that her account did not match surveillance footage from the area.
Court Appearance and Bail Conditions
Brown appeared in court Monday at the Penobscot County Jail, where a judge set bail at $50,000 and barred her from contact with anyone under 18 years old.
Key details from court documents:
- Cause of death is pending additional studies, though heat exposure is strongly suspected.
- Time inside vehicle: nearly 15 hours, according to investigators.
- Dog’s death likely due to the same heat conditions.
Authorities continue to investigate the case, which has shocked both the Milford community and Brown’s hometown in Pennsylvania.
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