Coroner identifies infant twins found dead in vehicle outside SC daycare

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. (WCSC) - Authorities say two infant twin brothers found in a vehicle Wednesday afternoon may have been in that vehicle for up to nine-and-a-half hours.

The Richland County Coroner’s Office said autopsies have been performed on 20-month-old brothers Bryson and Braden McDaniel.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Office said they received calls about two unresponsive infants that led them to the facility on Wilson Boulevard shortly after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Deputies found the two babies inside a vehicle, and both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said until all forensic test results are complete, the cause of death will be listed as pending further studies.

“But it is probable that their deaths were due to hyperthermia,” she said. Investigators say they do not believe the Sunshine Academy staff where the students were enrolled were involved or in any way complicit in the children’s death.

The children were discovered by one of the parents, she said. No criminal charges have been filed in the case so far.

“I’ll tell you this. We have two very distraught parents,” she said. “Two very distraught parents.”

She said authorities believe the vehicle had not been parked at the daycare all day.

“We believe the children were possibly placed in the vehicle at around 7:30 or 8 a.m.,” she said.

She said the vehicle arrived at the daycare center at approximately 5:30 p.m. and that EMS was dispatched there at approximately 5:40 p.m.

“If this is an unfortunate accident, we pray the family can find peace,” Rutherford said. “But if it was a criminal act, we will help get justice for these babies.”

Copyright 2021 WIS. All rights reserved.