• Mother accused of ending her two-year-old child’s life and hiding the body among laundry and trash
• Investigations reveal neglect of the child confined in an upstairs room and poor home conditions prior to her arrest

A court in Montana, USA, heard shocking details about Nicole Lyn Bower, accused of ending the life of her two-year-old child and hiding the body among piles of laundry and trash inside her home in Lima

Police arrested Bower after discovering the body in an advanced state of decomposition, following her report of the incident

Upon surrendering, she reportedly said: Just take me to jail

The mother denied the charge of intentional harm in court and was returned to pretrial custody pending her upcoming trial

Investigators found the body placed on a pile of laundry and trash next to a mattress, covered with a sweatshirt in an upstairs bedroom

Officials described the home as being in poor condition, filled with waste, spoiled food, and animal feces, while the bedroom remained cold despite temperatures of 44°C (111°F) outside

The investigation also indicated that the child had special needs and was confined to the upper bedroom

Bower admitted to neglecting the child, citing exhaustion from caring for him, his father, and three other children

She stated that she occasionally stopped providing him with food and water, which led to his death

Despite these admissions, the mother continued to deny intentional harm in court, while police noted that she had known of the child’s death for weeks but “convinced herself he was still alive” before reporting the matter to authorities