MADISONVILLE, LA — Joseph Boatman, 32, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder after allegedly leaving his 1-year-old daughter in a hot car for more than nine hours, resulting in her tragic death.
Authorities said the incident occurred early Sunday morning when Boatman, who had consumed multiple alcoholic drinks, went to pick up his daughter from a relative’s home around 2:30 a.m. The toddler was strapped into her car seat, but Boatman went inside the house and did not return to the vehicle.
More than nine hours later, a family member discovered the child unresponsive inside the car. At the time, the temperature in Madisonville had reached 95 degrees, with the heat index soaring to 105 degrees.
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith called the loss “devastating” and highlighted how quickly heat can become deadly, especially when a child is left unattended in a vehicle on an extremely hot day.
Boatman now faces serious legal consequences for his alleged actions as the investigation continues.
