Autopsy planned in death of 2-year-old
By Jimmie E. Gates
jgates@clarionledger.com

An autopsy will determine if heat exhaustion caused the death of a 2-year-old girl found inside a locked nonoperating van at her grandmother's home in Kosciusko.

Amila D. Hubbard was pronounced dead late Thursday afternoon at Monfort Jones Memorial Hospital in Kosciusko. Her 3-year-old cousin, Tamya Talley, also was found in the van and taken to the hospital, but she is doing well, Police Chief R.J. Adams said Friday.

"This is just terrible," Adams said of Amila's death. "We don't have all the details yet."

Amila's mother, who is in the military and had left a few days earlier going back overseas, has been notified of her child's death, Adams said.

Out of respect to the family, Adams said investigators will wait until Monday to question the grandmother and any other family member about the child's death.

"We know this family, and they are a good family," Adams said. "They are not a flight risk."

The family couldn't be reached for comment Friday.

According to the initial police investigation, the children were thought to be taking a nap when they were discovered missing from the bedroom.

Adams said the incident happened sometime between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the grandmother's home on Mississippi 12 West. A 911 call was made to the Police Department about 5 p.m. Family members transported the children to the hospital in a private vehicle.

Attala County Coroner Kay Robertson said the autopsy was expected to be done Friday night.

It's expected the child died of heat exhaustion, officials said. The temperature reached 98 degrees Thursday in Kosciusko.

Authorities have said that during the initial 10 minutes, the temperature inside an enclosed vehicle rises an average of 19 degrees.

Eddie Collins of Kosciusko, whose brother's bait shop is next to the home where the incident happened, said, "It's just a bad situation. ... You have to watch children. I know the grandmother. She is really a nice lady."

August 22, 2006

Mississippi Briefs

Funeral today for girl found dead in hot van

KOSCIUSKO

The funeral for the 2-year-old girl who was found inside a locked van Thursday when outside temperature reached 98 degrees is today in Kosciusko, according to the funeral home.

Services for Amila D. Hubbard will be at Winters Funeral Home with burial in Parkway Cemetery.

Attala County Coroner Kay Robertson said preliminary autopsy results show Hubbard died of heat stroke.

Officials and family told The Star-Herald that Hubbard and a 3-year-old cousin were supposed be napping at their grandmother's house. Around 5 p.m., the grandmother found an unresponsive Hubbard in the van.

Hubbard was taken to Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital in Kosciusko, where she was pronounced dead.

Her cousin, Tamya Talley, who also was found in the van, was treated and released from the hospital.