WGNO

New details emerge in heat-related death of Columbus toddler found in hot car

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)New details are emerging this morning in Sunday’s heat-related death of a three-year-old child found unresponsive in a car at the Wendy’s on Macon Road.

Kendrick Engram Jr., was pronounced dead at 8:32 p.m. by the Muscogee County Coroner’s office.


The boy was still strapped in a car seat, according to Coroner Buddy Bryan.

“There were signs that he had tried to climb out,” Bryan said.

Here is the timeline, according to Bryan.

The boy and three other children had gone to church with the grandmother. They stopped to eat after leaving the church, Bryan said.

About 5:30 p.m., the son took the vehicle and left the house., At some point, the grandmother noticed the boy was missing. The coroner said she called her son and asked him to check the vehicle.

That’s when the boy was found.

“By that timeline, he was in the car for about 2 hours and 45 minutes,” Bryan said.

The body will be sent to the Georgia Crime Lab for an autopsy. The coroner’s office has initially ruled it was a heat-related death.

There is an on-going death investigation.