A grandfather in Lima, Montana, has been accused of negligent homicide after his 3-year-old grandson, who had spina bifida, was found dead inside his family’s home. He was arrested just three months after his daughter was also arrested in connection to the boy’s death.
The child’s grandfather, Christopher Michael Cox, has been charged with felony negligent homicide and misdemeanor child endangerment, according to KXLF.
Police believe that Cox, 48, contributed to his grandson’s death by failing to provide basic needs, as well as the necessary care to sustain the child’s life.
He was hit with the charges after authorities found the boy deceased in an upstairs room of the family’s home.
New court documents for the case were filed on January 27 and stated that a Dillon doctor confirmed the boy was born with spina bifida and was immobile due to the disability, according to the outlet.
Spina bifida “is a condition that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly” and is a “type of neural tube defect,” according to The Mayo Clinic. “The neural tube is the structure in a developing embryo that later becomes the baby’s brain and spinal cord and the tissues that enclose them.”
The court documents also stated that Cox’s home was “squalid and unsanitary.”
Other young children also lived in the home, and they told police that they would often hear the boy crying. They added that they believed the boy had died when they stopped hearing his cries.
Cox’s arrest comes three months after the boy’s mother, Nicole Boyer, was arrested in connection to her son’s death in October 2025.
KRTV previously reported that Boyer called police to report that her son had died after being sick for months. After Boyer called authorities, law enforcement came to the home and noted the smell of decomposing human remains. Boyer also allegedly told the responding officers, “Just take me to jail.”
In addition to noting that the entirety of the home was in poor condition, authorities said that the floors were covered in trash, rotten food, animal urine and feces.
When EMS personnel went upstairs, they found the deceased boy on top of a pile of laundry, bedsheets, trash and other items next to a mattress. The boy was covered with a sweatshirt and reportedly appeared to be in “an advanced state of decomposition.”
While speaking to authorities, Boyer claimed her son became sick with a fever over the summer. She added that she believed his illness was caused by teething. Boyer admitted she became overwhelmed and stopped taking care of him in September 2025.
“I believe I should have done more,” Boyer reportedly told investigators, according to court documents viewed by KSL. “My lack of not paying attention and prioritizing other things over him led to him dying.”
Boyer was arrested on one charge of deliberate homicide and was sent to Beaverhead County Jail, where she is still being held in custody.
It is not currently clear if Boyer or Cox have retained legal representation or entered pleas following their arrests.
The Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Luxury Handbag Shopping’s request for comment.
