MORGAN VANDUSEN - 8 mo -(2009) Jacksonville FL

Autopsy finds Jacksonville baby died of hyperthermia


Jacksonville police, DCF investigating December death.


Posted: February 4, 2010 - 5:02pm


Eight-month-old Morgan Vandusen was found dead Dec. 14 in this Westside mobile home. A car sitting outside has a sticker on the back window that memorializes the Jacksonviille baby.


An autopsy report shows that an 8-month-old Jacksonville girl died in December of hyperthermia and dehydration after being left overnight in a room police told her grandfather felt like 100 degrees.

Homicide detectives and the state Department of Children and Families are continuing to investigate the death of Morgan Ashley Vandusen. Questions include how a space heater found being used near the baby’s crib, despite mild temperatures outside, contributed to her death.

No charges have been filed.

Morgan’s mother, Charlotte Chesteen, found her lifeless in her crib Dec. 14 at the Paradise Village Mobile Home Park, on West Beaver Street. Paramedics were unable to revive the baby, who was pronounced dead on the scene.

News of Morgan’s death became public after her parents solicited donations over the Web site Craigslist for her cremation, which led to a local television story about the effort. The parents said they received about $2,000.

The autopsy report released to the Times-Union Thursday lists the cause of death as “environmental hyperthermia and dehydration.” A person suffering from hyperthermia has an elevated body temperature that can reach deadly levels if not treated quickly.

Police said when Morgan was found, they didn’t suspect foul play but planned to await the autopsy. Along with the cause of death, the manner is listed as undetermined. Manners of death can also be homicide, suicide, accidental or natural.


Police have declined to comment since December. Children and Families spokesman John Harrell said the agency’s investigation should be over within 30 days.

Morgan’s parents gave different accounts about when the space heater was turned on when interviewed by the Times-Union last month.

Chesteen, 30, said the heater was on when she put Morgan to bed the evening of Dec. 13. She said the temperature in the home was “comfortable” the next morning.

Quincy Vandusen, Morgan’s father and Chesteen’s boyfriend, said the heater wasn’t turned on until after Chesteen took the lifeless baby from the crib about 10 a.m. Vandusen said he had already left for work. He said he believes one of Morgan’s siblings turned on the heater. Two other children, ages 3 and 5, live with the couple.

Morgan’s grandfather, William Rodgers of Jacksonville, said last month he learned about the space heater after arriving at the home and talking with a police officer.

“I’ll never forget his words: ‘It must have been 100 degrees in there,’╩” said Rodgers, 59, who is Chesteen’s father. “I was really upset about that.”

National Weather Service records show that low temperatures were in the 60s and highs in the 70s on both days.

Morgan’s parents said they were traumatized by her death and did nothing wrong. “If they thought I abused my baby or hurt my baby, wouldn’t I be in jail now?” Chesteen said last month. “Don’t you think I would have lost these two [her other children]?”

When told Thursday about the autopsy, Rodgers said, “That’s terrible.” Chesteen declined to comment through her father. Vandusen couldn’t be reached.

Rodgers said Chesteen and her two young children recently moved to her mother’s Pensacola home. Two older children were removed from her custody by child welfare workers in Mississippi several years ago, he said. Mississippi officials declined to comment.

Rodgers said any concerns about the welfare of his other grandchildren have been alleviated knowing his daughter is being helped by her mother, who is Rodgers' ex-wife. Rodgers had previously told the Times-Union he was worried about the children’s welfare and urged Children and Families to remove them from Chesteen’s home until the investigation is complete.


“What’s done is done,” Rodgers said Thursday. “It can’t be changed.”

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Mother Charged In Baby Daughter's Death


Parents Tried To Raise Funeral Funds On Craigslist After Girl Died

9:00 pm EST January 13, 2011

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A mother who tried to raise funds on Craigslist for her baby daughter's funeral has been arrested more than a year later on charges of aggravated manslaughter in the girl's death.

Morgan Vandusen was 9 months old when she died in December 2009. Her parents, Scott Vandusen and Charlotte Chesteen, decided they would raise funds online to pay for their daughter's funeral after she appeared to have died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

"We both came up with the idea, hoping somebody can help," Vandusen said at the time. "We need help giving her the funeral she deserves."

Now, Chesteen is charged in her daughter's death.

According to a police report, Chesteen told police she put her daughter to bed in her crib at 7 p.m. Dec. 13, 2009, but never checked on her until 10 a.m. the next morning when she discovered her baby was dead and her body was stiff.

When Chesteen spoke to police, she told them Morgan seemed fine before eating baby food and drinking formula, and that she had a slight fever, according to the report. However, investigators said that based on what they found in the autopsy, there's no way the baby would have been doing fine before her death. They said she would have been sick for at least 24 hours before her death, lethargic, not eating or drinking anything, according to the report.

Police said that "a reasonable parent would have sought medical attention," according to the report.

Mom faces manslaughter charge for baby's death
Comments 0
January 14, 2011 5:52 AM
The Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman faces manslaughter charges for the 2009 death of her infant daughter.

Authorities said Thursday that 31-year-old Charlotte Renee Chesteen left 8 1/2-month-old Morgan Ashley Vandusen overnight in a room that broiled to 98 degrees despite mild temperatures outside.

Chesteen told police the baby had been running a slight fever. She told authorities she put the child to bed on Dec. 13, 2009, and didn't check on her again until 10 hours later. By that time the baby had died of hyperthermia and dehydration.

The child's death was originally listed as undetermined. It was changed last month to negligent homicide/manslaughter based on evidence.

Chesteen is free on $30,000 bail

8/22/2011 PRETRIAL 8 330 E BAY ST (CIRCUIT) NO

https://showcase.duvalclerk.com/ViewCaseDetails.aspx?id=10322423&court=0

9/20/2011 PRETRIAL 8 330 E BAY ST (CIRCUIT) NO


https://showcase.duvalclerk.com/ViewCaseDetails.aspx?id=10322423&court=0

11/8/2011 FINAL PRETRIAL 8 330 E BAY ST (CIRCUIT) NO

https://showcase.duvalclerk.com/ViewCaseDetails.aspx?id=10322423&court=0

11/28/2011 PRETRIAL 8 330 E BAY ST (CIRCUIT) NO

https://showcase.duvalclerk.com/ViewCaseDetails.aspx?id=10322423&court=0

1/19/2012

DISPOSITION

8 330 E BAY ST (CIRCUIT)

https://showcase.duvalclerk.com/ViewCaseDetails.aspx?id=10322423&court=0

7/12/2012	1	DEFENDANT PLEAD GUILTY
	7/12/2012		SENTENCING 10/01/2012 9:00 AM - 405 4TH FLOOR, 501 W ADAMS ST JACKSONVILLE FL 32202

https://showcase.duvalclerk.com/ViewCaseDetails.aspx?id=10322423&court=0

Well it appears that Charlotte Renee Chesteen plead guilty. Searched for an article on her guilty plea and found this link with her photo:

http://shakenbabyandsuddeninfantdeath.blogspot.com/2011/01/sids-florida-jacksonville-mom-charged.html

Why would she plead guilty if she wasn't?

Sometimes people do it because the risk of a jury trial is too much and the punishment too severe if they lose. It's kind of like companies that get sued and even if they logically they're right the risk of going to trial is too great or costly, so it's easier and cheaper to just settle.
Me, personally, I'm accused of murder I'm going to trial. No way in hell I'm accepting a plea deal. Based on the above articles, I think she's guilty. I dont' know that I think she intentionally killed her baby, but I think she was definately negligent.

Yes I agree with you Ginger. And maybe she was given a plea deal -- that's why I was searching as I figured she had. Guess we will find out in October when she is sentenced.

Added: Oh and I didn't think she intentionally tried to kill the baby. It definately sounds like negligence and that's why I was wondering why she would plead guilty. Maybe it was to a lesser charge. We'll see.

193 -- 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
SENTENCING HRG HELD IN FULL
194 1 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
ADJUDICATION OF GUILT WITHHELD FINGERPRINTS TAKEN
195 1 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
PROBATION 1 YEAR
196 1 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
1 DAYS DCJ WITH 1 DAYS CREDIT
197 1 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
COST OF SUPERVISION WAIVED
198 1 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
PROBATION EARLY TERMINATION AUTHORIZED AFTER 6 MONTHS IF SPECIAL CONDITIONS ARE COMPLETE
199 1 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
COMPLETE PARENTING CLASSES
200 1 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
SUBSTANCE ABUSE EVALUATION & TREATMENT
201 1 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
COUNSELING FOR DEPRESSION

218 -- 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
COURT ORDERED COSTS/FINES/FEES BOOK 16098 PAGE 484-485
219 -- 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
MITIGATION PACKET - SEALED BY COURT
220 -- 10/8/2012
10/9/2012
PRE-SENT. INVESTIGATION REPORT SEALED ,
222 -- 10/17/2012
11/5/2012
ORDER W/H ADJ. OF GUILT & PLACING DEF. ON PROBATION
223 -- 7/9/2013
7/9/2013
CASE FEES PAID: $258.46 ON RECEIPT NUMBER 1878475
224 -- 8/16/2013
8/16/2013
CASE FEES PAID: $763.54 ON RECEIPT NUMBER 1908446