Prosecutors in Prince William County, Va., are deciding whether to charge a woman whose son died after being left unattended in a van for several hours.
The mother of 2-year-old Ryan Murphy found him unresponsive inside his family’s van at about 4 p.m. Friday in the driveway of their Bristow home. He’d last been seen alive at about 9 a.m. that day.
Ryan’s mother called 911, but he could not be saved.
Prince William County prosecutor Paul Ebert said because the investigation into Ryan’s death is not complete he hasn't decided whether to seek charges.
Ryan’s death reminded many of a similar tragedy in May 2002, when a Manassas father of 13 left his 21-month-old daughter unattended in a hot van. Kevin Kelly was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment. He served one night in jail a year for seven years and conducted a community blood drive.
