Gloucester Woman Arrested In 18-Month-Old Son's Murder: Cops

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A little more than a year ago, a frantic mother went door-to-door in her Gloucester Township neighborhood, pleading for help after she said she found her 18-month-old child unresponsive in his crib. On Thursday night, authorities announced that she had been arrested and indicted on murder charges in her child’s death.

Heather Reynolds, 41, has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree possession of methamphetamine, and third-degree hindering apprehension, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Gloucester Township Police Department announced.

Police responded to a report of an unresponsive child who was on his lawn in a quiet Gloucester Township neighborhood on May 10, 2018. Police attempted to revive the boy using CPR, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The child was pronounced dead on the scene.

Dr. Gerald Feigin conducted the post-mortem examination. On June 7, 2019, he ruled the cause of death was asphyxia and the manner of death was homicide, authorities said Thursday night.

Reynolds was indicted following an investigation that included extensive forensic analysis and a presentation to a Grand Jury, authorities said. She was arrested at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening in Gloucester Township. She was being held in the Camden County Jail awaiting a detention hearing as of Thursday night.

Authorities had no further comment Thursday night.

At the time of the toddler's death, a neighbor told Patch the mother said she had been getting ready for work when she went to check on her 18-month-old boy, who had been napping in his crib.

When she discovered he was unresponsive, the mother said she rushed to seek help from her neighbors. She couldn't call 911 because her cell phone had died, she told neighbors. She also asked if anyone in the house knew CPR. So the neighbor called 911, and she and her friend began giving the toddler CPR. She said no one else was home at the time.

Read more here: Frantic Mom Asked For Help After Toddler Found Dead, Source Says