Esperanza Rae Harding, a 20-year-old Minnesota mom, is accused of drowning her 8-month-old son, Mateo Harding, in a hotel bath tub because she couldn’t enjoy her bath. This horrific incident occurred at a hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota, on February 28, 2024. Initially, Harding claimed her son died in a hospital from natural causes on March 1, but there were no records of him being admitted or dying there. After speaking with police, she admitted that Mateo died at the hotel. Harding allegedly told authorities that she was trying to take a bath when her son started crying in the other room, which upset her, leading her to drown him in the tub. After the incident, she allegedly wrapped up his body in a backpack and threw it in a dumpster.
Police recovered Harding’s cellphone, which included a picture of the child in the tub taken after the incident. She sent these pictures to her 18-year-old boyfriend, Edwin Trudeau, who allegedly didn’t like her child and wanted her to give him up for adoption. Harding told police that Trudeau came to the hotel room and tried to give the child CPR but it didn’t work.
Harding faces one count of second-degree murder, and she and her boyfriend are both in custody, with separate hearings scheduled for April 3. The case has sparked outrage and concern among the community, with Mateo’s father expressing his desire to find his son and give him the peace he needs.
What was the cause of death for the child?
The cause of death for the child, Mateo Harding, was drowning. Esperanza Rae Harding, the child’s mother, allegedly drowned him in a hotel bathtub because she couldn’t enjoy her bath while he was crying in the other room. After the incident, she allegedly wrapped up his body in a backpack and threw it in a dumpster. The details of the drowning, including the circumstances and the exact cause of death, were not made public, but the primary cause of death was confirmed to be drowning.
How did the police determine Harding’s involvement in the crime?
The police determined Harding’s involvement in the crime through a combination of inconsistent statements, physical evidence, and text messages. Initially, Harding claimed her child died of natural causes at a hospital on March 1, but there were no records of the child being admitted or dying there. This raised suspicion among the police. During interviews, Harding provided inconsistent information, which led to further investigation. Eventually, she admitted that the child did not die at the hospital but at a hotel in Bloomington on February 28. She confessed to drowning the child in a bathtub and disposing of his body in a dumpster.
Physical evidence, including a photo of the child floating face down in the bathtub, was recovered from Harding’s phone. This photo, along with text messages she sent to her boyfriend, Edwin Trudeau, provided further evidence of her involvement. The messages included statements about her intention to commit the crime and her feelings of guilt and regret. Harding also admitted that Trudeau was present at the hotel and tried to perform CPR on the child, but it was unsuccessful. Trudeau allegedly told her to stop and instead helped her dispose of the body, further implicating him in the crime.
Harding’s confession, along with the physical evidence and text messages, provided the police with a clear picture of her involvement in the crime. She was charged with second-degree murder, and Trudeau was charged with aiding an offender after the fact.
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