A 1-Month-Old Was Found Dead in Hot Car. The Coroner Just Revealed Surprising Autopsy Results

Mar. 15, 2025

Andrea N. Luncsford.Photo:Peoria Police Department

Peoria Police Department

A one-month-old boyfound dead inside a hot carin Peoria, Ill. in September, had so much cocaine in his body that the drugs were the immediate cause of his death, the Peoria County Coroner’s Office confirms to PEOPLE.

The infant, Grayson Luncsford, whose “final cause of death” wasruledto be cocaine poisoning, also suffered from heat stress, dehydration, malnutrition, and neglect, according to the coroner’s office.

The office, which declined to confirm to PEOPLE the exact amount of cocaine found in the infant’s body, said in the statement that “the mode of entry of the cocaine into the infant’s system remains under investigation.”

Grayson’s mother, Andrea N. Luncsford, is charged with murder and felony endangering the health and life of a child, according to heronline court docket.

Just after 7 p.m. on Sept. 16, officers were dispatched to the 2400 block of N. Peoria in regards to a report of a deceased infant, the Peoria Police Department said in astatementat the time.

The “unresponsive infant” was not breathing when officers arrived, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Police announced Luncsford’s arrest in connection to the case the following day.

The 26-year-old mother was arraigned in ​Peoria County Circuit Clerk earlier this month, per her online docket which does not indicate if she entered a plea to the charges.

Her public defender, Jennifer Patton, declined to comment to PEOPLE on the case.

A pretrial hearing is slated for Nov. 6, and a jury trial is set for Nov. 18 at 9:00 a.m.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com