The body of a 2-year-old boy with autism was found Friday in the trunk of his mother’s car, some six weeks after the car had been towed to a wrecking yard. As reported by the Associated Press, the body of the boy, James, may have been there for months as his mother, Summer ManyWhiteHorses, drove around town.
Deputy County Attorney Joel Thompson said authorities have yet to determine how or when the boy died. An autopsy is being conducted. According to court records, ManyWhiteHorses told police the boy’s death was an accident, and that she placed his body in the car’s trunk on May 29.Ms ManyWhiteHorses has been charged with deliberate homicide and is being held on $250,000 bail. She was first arrested on July 21 after authorities attempted to pull her over for driving through several stoplights and crashing into a parked car. Her 11-year-old daughter was in the car with her and the two-year-old’s body was apparently in the trunk, but police did not search it. The car was towed away. ManyWhiteHorses was arrested, given a misdemeanor citation and released. She did not retrieve her car, and told authorities different stories about her toddler son’s whereabouts.
Police were brought into the case last week after child welfare agents could not verify the toddler's location. A short time later, ManyWhiteHorses told officers the toddler, who had autism, had died in late May, according to court records. ManyWhiteHorses told police she put the body in the trunk, wrapped in a blanket inside a garbage bag, the affidavit said.
