Autopsy report: 2 and 3-year-old sisters died of hyperthermia from being left in hot car in 95-degree heat

By Brett Knese

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    RALEIGH, North Carolina (WRAL) — An autopsy report released Wednesday night shows two young sisters left alone inside a hot car in Wake County last August died from hyperthermia. Launice Battle, 29, is charged with the murders of her daughters, 2-year-old Trinity Michelle Milbourne and 3-year-old Amora Lou Milbourne.

The autopsy report confirms the children were left in a car on Aug. 27, 2022, behind Vegas Style Sweepstakes and Entertainment at 5540 Atlantic Springs Road while their mom gambled inside. According to the report, the girls were left alone inside the car during one of the hottest parts of the day, from 2:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the high temperature in the area was 95 degrees.

Although the car was parked in a partially shaded area, it was too hot for the girls, who were found not breathing and without a pulse, according to the autopsy,

The report confirms Battle drove the girls to the Duke Raleigh Emergency Department. CPR was performed at the hospital, but the girls died.

WRAL News learned there was a 30 to 45 minute gap between when Battle left the sweepstakes parlor and took the girls to the hospital.

According to the report, the oldest sister, Amora, was born prematurely and had multiple health problems, including heart disease. Amora was hospitalized for respiratory failure in June 2021 and had to use a gastronomy tube for feeding difficulties.

Battle appeared in court for the first time in August, when she was denied bond. In October, a grand jury indicted Battle on charges of murder in the deaths of her two children.

Battle’s cousins called the girls’ deaths a “careless mistake.”

“She was always there. She’s a caring and loving mother to her kids at the end of the day. She’s not a cold-blooded murderer. She’s not a killer,” said Battle’s cousin Keisha Harris.

Harris said her family is devastated and can’t understand what led up to the deaths of the two toddlers.

“She was just a young girl, may have been experiencing depression or whatever the case may be,” said Harris. “She just made a bad decision. At the end of the day, she was a good mother to those girls.”

Another cousin, Lisacious Williams, said the family was at a loss for words.

“We love Launice no matter what, and we will support her no matter what. This was a careless mistake,” Williams said in a message.

Birth records show Battle also has a son, Haven Gabriel, born in August 2016. Haven was believed to be in the care of his father.

Battle’s Cary neighbors knew her as a single mom, and Cary police said they had no record of calls for child abuse or neglect to her address.

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