DILLON — First responders gathered in Dillon to celebrate the life of 2-year-old Sammy Deut, whose badly decomposed remains were found in his Lima home last fall, as his mother and grandfather face charges in his death.
Sammy's mother, Nicole Boyer, self-reported his death and was taken into custody immediately. She faces a deliberate homicide charge. His grandfather, Christopher Cox, is also charged with negligent homicide in Sammy's death. Both have pleaded not guilty and remain in the county jail.
WATCH: First responders gathered in Dillon to honor 2-year-old Sammy Deut after his death in a Lima home
Court documents say Sammy's remains were found on Oct. 17 in an upstairs bedroom of his home. Court documents also say the boy was born with spina bifida and other disabilities that made him immobile.
In April, the court released Sammy's remains to a local funeral home, which is now providing private services for first responders, the victim's family, and a celebration of life for the community.
Dale Stewart, the chaplain for the Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office, also serves as a reserve deputy and volunteer EMT in Lima. He was among those on scene when Sammy's remains were found.
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"Today was for any responders that needed kind of a closure, you know, we, I guess, we couldn't help Sammy when he was alive cause we didn't know what was going on and so we were there, you know, at the end of his life, and so this is a closure," Stewart said.
Stewart says holding a private service for grieving first responders is important in a small community where everyone knows everyone.
"We're called upon all the time to help our neighbors out, and so it's more than just a case and a run. You know, these are people... we knew. So, this is a closure to say, 'Hey, maybe the love that he didn't get while he was alive...you know, we can give him that love here today and honor him and give him a respectful burial that he deserves,'" Stewart said.
