Maine father charged with manslaughter after toddler dies in 13-degree bedroom

Shane McLaughlin, 37, was arrested in Milford, Maine, on Wednesday after a nearly 10-month investigation concluded his 13-month-old daughter died of hypothermia in a freezing room. Authorities have charged him with one count of manslaughter and three counts of child endangerment.

The death occurred on December 28, 2025, at the family home where outside temperatures had dropped to 13 degrees. McLaughlin told investigators that the bedroom, which he and his children shared, lost its heat because a pet opened the door. He stated he could see his own breath in the air.

"I grabbed a package of Pop-Tarts, opened it up, and I went to wake up Eleanora, and that’s when I found her dead," McLaughlin said. The toddler, Eleanora Ray McLaughlin, was found unresponsive by her father.

Erika Dupuis, the child's mother, obtained a report from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services indicating that the couple's two other children were in the house at the time. Dupuis noted that DHHS had closed a separate investigation involving their twin girls just six days before Eleanora died.

State Sen. Jeffrey Timberlake, R-Androscoggin, is leading a push for accountability from DHHS along with two other state lawmakers. They are urging officials to appear before the Government Oversight Committee, although no hearings have been scheduled yet.