Tennessee mom accused of faking autistic son's death and leaving him in motel alone
01/14/2022 2:19 pm PST
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (TCD) -- A 39-year-old woman was arrested after she allegedly faked her 12-year-old autistic son's death and left him in a motel room alone for days.
WKRN-TV reports a School Resource Officer from New Providence Middle School reached out to Vanessa Blanchard on Oct. 29 because her son had not been in school. Blanchard reportedly told the school official that her son had died after suffering a seizure two days prior.
According to Clarksville Now, teachers and administrators raised money for funeral expenses. When the school contacted the funeral home, however, personnel at the funeral home reportedly said they did not have any arrangements for the boy. The school contacted Blanchard about it, and she allegedly said he was undergoing an autopsy at a local hospital.
Investigators learned that the boy's school-issued laptop was still active and it was traced to the Vacation Motor Motel, Clarksville Now reports. A Montgomery County Sheriff's sergeant went to the hotel and found the child alone in a room.
Blanchard reportedly told investigators she left her son in the motel room for two weeks and checked up on him either daily or every other day, according to WSMV-TV. Clarksville Now says the child is safe but did not reveal who has custody of him.
Montgomery County Jail records show Blanchard was booked on charges of contributing to delinquency of a child and false impression of death.
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