Babysitter accused of murder after 3-year-old boy found unresponsive, CA cops say
A babysitter is accused of murder after the death of a 3-year-old boy, California deputies say.
A Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a report about an unresponsive toddler inside a Happy Camp home shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, June 13, deputies said in a June 16 news release on Facebook.
At the time, the boy’s babysitter, Marion Southard Spence, 23, was caring for him, deputies said.
The boy was flown to a medical center in Medford, Oregon, then transferred to a Portland hospital, “where he was joined by his family,” according to deputies.
Despite efforts to save the boy, he was pronounced dead just before 5 a.m. June 15, deputies said.
An investigation led deputies to arrest Spence on multiple charges, including murder, child neglect and great bodily injury, the sheriff’s office said.
Spence is being held without bail, jail records show.
An investigation is ongoing, deputies said. The name of the boy has not been publicly released.
“The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the child’s family during this incredibly difficult time,” deputies said.
Happy Camp is in Northern California, a short distance south from the Oregon border.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 11:24 AM with the headline "Babysitter accused of murder after 3-year-old boy found unresponsive, CA cops say."
