Pennsylvania Mother Charged with Manslaughter After 3-Year-Old Daughter and Dog Found Dead in Locked Hot Car in Maine

Brown's mother became concerned after several days without contact.

By Savage RoyalT | August 12, 2025 | SavageRoyalT.com

A Pennsylvania mother is facing manslaughter charges after her 3-year-old daughter and the family’s 13-year-old dog, Penelope, were found dead inside a locked car in Milford, Maine, over the weekend. Authorities allege the child endured nearly 15 hours in rising heat before being discovered.

Kelly Brown, 40, of Havertown — a Philadelphia suburb — appeared in court Monday at the Penobscot Judicial Center in Bangor, where her bail was set at $50,000. She is barred from contact with anyone under the age of 18 if released.

According to the Maine State Police, Brown and her daughter had been visiting family in the area. After several days without contact, Brown’s mother reported them missing. Officers discovered the vehicle parked outside a business in Milford on Saturday evening and broke a window to get inside, finding the girl and dog dead on the floor of the car. Surveillance footage later revealed Brown had left them there hours earlier.

Court documents say the temperature in Milford that day reached 82 degrees. An autopsy determined that hyperthermia, dangerously high body temperature, was the likely cause of death, though the official cause and manner remain pending further studies.

When located near the vehicle, Brown allegedly gave police a bizarre account, claiming she left the child and dog inside while she went to collect trash, then slipped and was swept down the Penobscot River. Investigators noted her clothes were dry, and her story did not match surveillance footage.

Brown’s mother told police her daughter had been posting “bizarre” statements on social media before the incident. During interviews, Brown admitted to hallucinating and hearing voices telling her what to do. She also claimed she and her daughter had been camping in the car.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services is now working with Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services on the case. Due to confidentiality laws, neither agency has confirmed prior contact with Brown’s family.

Brown was arrested around 5 a.m. Sunday and charged with manslaughter. The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police detectives, and the Maine State Police Evidence Response Team are continuing the investigation.