Man charged after 13-month-old dies in 13-degree bedroom in Maine

Shane McLaughlin, 37, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the death of his 13-month-old daughter, Eleanora Ray McLaughlin, who died of hypothermia in Milford, Maine, police said.

The toddler passed away on Dec. 28, 2025, at the family home. Outside temperatures had fallen to 13 degrees Fahrenheit at the time. McLaughlin now faces one count of manslaughter and three counts of child endangerment.

McLaughlin told investigators that a pet had left the door to the sleeping room open, allowing the cold air in. The room was normally kept warm by a space heater. He stated he could see his own breath in the air when he noticed the chill.

“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.

Eleanora’s mother, Erika Dupuis, said the couple’s two other children were in the home when the toddler died. Dupuis noted that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services had closed a separate investigation involving the twin girls just six days before Eleanora’s death.

State Sen. Jeffrey Timberlake, R-Androscoggin, is one of three lawmakers requesting that DHHS officials appear before the Government Oversight Committee to answer for their handling of the case. No hearings have been scheduled yet.