Maine Grandmother Of Baby Who Froze To Death Arrested In Custody Fight

A Penobscot County woman was jailed after refusing to turn over custody of her two grandchildren whose sibling died three months ago.

Michele Dupuis, 53, has been caring for two toddlers whose 1-year-old sister died from hypothermia in December while in custody of her mother’s ex-husband.

Dupuis refused recently to let two state child-welfare agents take the surviving kids to see their mother’s ex.

She told the state workers the kids had important doctors appointments and that was more important than a scheduled visit with their father.

That’s according to Robert Kearns of Bangor who has been helping the family with their challenges.

“This is a grandmother trying to protect these kids,” Kearns said.

Kearns also set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the beleaguered family.

Eleanora McLaughlin died in December while staying at a home where her mother Erika McLaughlin’s estranged husband was raising their three children.

The kids include an older boy and twins – Eleanora and her sister.

McLaughlin, who now lives out of state, has said there were multiple Department of Health and Human Services investigations regarding her children.

The state medical examiner has determined that Elenora’s death in a home with little or no heat was allegedly accidental.

“The kids were placed with their grandparents and they have been doing a very good job,’ Kearns posted on Facebook.

He said he’s convinced the kids are much safer with their grandparents then they were in their previous custodial condition where one of them died from exposure to the cold.

Kearns, whose organization “People 207” began the GoFundMe campaign for the family, believes the surviving children should stay with their grandparents.