A Maine Department of Health and Human Services employee, her partner, and her mother were charged with murder over the death of a 10-year-old child earlier this month.
On February 18, the child arrived at a Bangor hospital with life-threatening injuries before succumbing later that day.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner did not disclose details on the child’s death which was ruled a homicide.
Police arrested the child’s parents, 33-year-old Joshua Smith and 35-year-old Jem Bean, and his 56-year-old grandmother Mistie Latourette on charges of depraved indifference murder.
DHHS spokesperson Linday Hammes said Bean was an administrative employee for the department with no involvement in patient care.
“The death of a child is a tragedy and the charges in this case are deeply disturbing,” Hammes said.
“The department will continue to do all it can to support the pursuit of justice in cases of violence against children.”
