Drug addict mom, 36, left her 13-month-old toddler to die in hot car for more than 17 HOURS

An Alabama mother with an extensive history of drug abuse has been arrested after leaving her toddler son to die in a hot car for more than 17 hours. 

Elizabeth Anne Case, 36, was charged with reckless murder in the tragic death of 13-month-old Casen, according to the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. 

Deputies responded to the intersection of Highway 251 and Highway 31 on Saturday afternoon where they found the vehicle and toddler. 

Both Athens Police and Athens Fire were at the scene in addition to Case and the boy’s grandmother, Theresa Moss. 

The Toney, Alabama native is said to have traveled to both Limestone and Madison counties so that she could dumpster dive, leaving Casen inside her car for more than 17 hours in total

Case and Moss had both tried to transport Casen to the hospital, according to a release from the department. The toddler was taken to the Athens-Limestone Hospital but was pronounced dead. 

Investigators said Case had left the child inside a buckled car seat as she left her residence on East Limestone Road between 9 and 10pm on Friday night. The car seat was not fastened into the vehicle. 

The Toney native is said to have traveled to both Limestone and Madison counties so that she could dumpster dive, leaving the toddler inside the vehicle. 

Case reportedly returned home at around 5.40am on Saturday and left the baby inside the vehicle as she went to bed. 

Case tried to revive Casen in her shower before Moss called police and drove the trio to a local recreation center

She woke up at around 1.30pm when Moss came to see her grandson. Moss began to panic when she couldn’t locate the boy before both she and Case found the baby in the car. 

The mother is said to have not called police, instead taking Casen inside the home where she then placed him in the shower. 

Moss called police and then loaded the child and Case into the car before driving to the recreation center where authorities found the vehicle. 

Case was arrested and taken to the Limestone County Jail, where her bond has been set for $250,000. 

According to the release, Case is a known drug user and had been out on bond for 1st degree robbery. 

Case is a known drug user and had been out on bond for 1st degree robbery

Moss took to her Facebook to voice her heartbreak, sharing photos of Casen. 

‘Lord please help me through this,’ she said. ‘My angel boy, my everything was taken too soon but one thing about his Gigi loved him with everything in her and I know my Casen loved his Gigi.’ 

Moss shared a link to a GoFundMe that the boy’s aunt – Laura Uselton – set up to help pay for funeral expenses. The fundraiser has raised just over $500 of its $8,000 goal. 

‘His mother had left him in the car an went to sleep with not a care in the world about this sweet baby. He didn’t deserve any of this he was so sweet an innocent child. So we as the family are asking for any help that we may can get to give this sweet baby the funeral he so much deserves. 

According to Kids and Cars, Casen’s death marks the third fatality that has occurred in Alabama as a result of being left in hot cars. There have been 49 cases across the country in 2019.