Investigators said the home had feces on the wall, lacked running water and was infested with bugs

NEED TO KNOW

• Amanda Marie Morgan faces felony murder and aggravated child abuse charges after she allegedly left her son, 14, and daughter, 16, who both have autism, home alone overnight
• The boy was strangled by his blanket and died
• Investigators said they found feces on the walls of the home

A 14-year-old boy with autism is dead after his mother allegedly left him home alone overnight with his sister. 

Amanda Marie Morgan, 39, faces felony murder and aggravated child abuse charges after she allegedly left the boy and her 16-year-old daughter, who both have autism, home alone, according to Fox 10. 

The teen boy was accidentally strangled by his blanket and died, while his sister was taken to the hospital for malnutrition. 

Investigators reported finding signs of neglect throughout the home, including feces on the walls, per Fox 10. The residence also had no running water or air conditioning, and it was infested with bugs. 

On March 24, Morgan pleaded not guilty to her charges, Fox 10 reported. She was ordered a $400,000 cash component bond for the felony murder charge and a $40,000 cash component bond for the aggravated child abuse charge.

She is not allowed to contact her 16-year-old daughter. 

PEOPLE reached out to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, which is responsible for inmates where Morgan is jailed, to request her attorney on record for comment on Sunday, March 29, but did not receive an immediate response.

The Mobile Police Department began the investigation in October 2025 after officers responded to a mobile home park on Sperry Road in Theodore, Ala., where they found the dead boy. 

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WKRG reported, citing court testimony, that Morgan would reportedly leave her two children home alone for "extended periods of time."

PEOPLE reached out to the Mobile Police Department and the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office on Sunday, March 29, and did not receive immediate responses.

Morgan’s preliminary hearing is on April 20.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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