A devastated Martha’s Vineyard father says his 2-year-old son can be heard on video screaming for him after his nanny left him to die in the back of her car while she cooked and pampered herself.
Matt Rodenbaugh accused Amy Cotton, 40, of torturing his son Frankie, who died of hypothermia days after he was found unresponsive in his car seat, where he was restrained for hours without food or water outside his babysitter’s Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, home last March. WBZ-TV reported.
The heartbreaking incident that happened on March 13, 2025 was allegedly captured on Cotton’s Nest camera.
“You tortured my child,” the heartbroken father told the outlet, describing his energetic son as “Minnie.”
“They enhanced the sound of the video, and he can be heard calling Dada over and over again, until the video stops.”
Court documents showed that Cotton — who was indicted in September on manslaughter and reckless endangerment charges — told police she spent three hours inside her home cooking bacon, managing her personal hygiene, and packing her son’s hockey bags while the child cried helplessly in her SUV.
It wasn’t until she realized Frankie had stopped breathing that she called 911 and notified his parents, who believed what had happened to their son was a tragic accident until state police found the security video.
“We reviewed the camera video outside the home,” Rodenbaugh told the outlet as he recounted his conversation with police.
“We saw that Amy came home about nine o’clock, got out of the car and went into her house. She didn’t get back into the car until about 12:30 or 1. I said okay. They said she was the only one that got out of the car.”
Rodenbaugh and his wife, Julie, were shocked when police arrested Cotton, a caregiver they had known for 10 years who was highly recommended and had cared for their daughter until she was 3 years old.
The grieving father said Cotton “was someone very close to us and someone we trusted.”
“I played Russian roulette with my son’s life seemingly every day and he didn’t win that game,” Rodenbaugh said angrily, declaring that “Amy killed my son.”
Cotton, who was released on bail, has reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently awaiting trial.
Rodenbaugh, who filed a civil suit against her last month, is now warning parents to take every precaution and make sure caregivers are properly caring for their children, the newspaper reported.
“I think trust but verification is big,” he said.
“Trust the caregivers but ask questions, walk in, and stop there to see if they’re OK with using the camera. It’s not about spying on them, it’s about making sure your child is safe. And listen to your children.”