A 4-month-old boy found unresponsive in a Lynn homeless shelter last September died of natural causes and state child welfare officials have concluded his death was not the result of neglect or abuse, according to officials and records obtained by the Globe.
The state Department of Children and Families said Wednesday the findings are based on its own investigation and the medical examiner’s review of the death of Charles D. Brand III.
The agency said it had no other comment and has declined to provide records about the case, saying their release is prohibited by law.
The Essex district attorney’s office said its inquiry into the baby’s death remains active.
“Our investigation is ongoing,’’ said Steve O’Connell, spokesman for Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett. “We are in the process of reviewing the findings of the medical examiner and expect to conclude our investigation shortly.’’
The boy, known as Charlie, was pronounced dead at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston at 5:17 p.m. Sept. 27, 2015, less than 24 hours after he was found not breathing in a homeless shelter known as Independence House.
Court records show Charlie’s death was being investigated as a possible child endangerment case and that the infant repeatedly came to the attention of state child welfare authorities during his short life.
While the cause of Charlie’s death was initially listed as pending, the state medical examiner’s office updated the death certificate June 28. The amended document said he died of “complications of acute bronchopneumonia’’ with “intravascular coagulation.’’
The condition Charlie suffered from is severe pneumonia that spread into the bloodstream, causing widespread clotting and coagulation problems in the blood vessels, said Dr. Okan Elidemir, chief of pediatric pulmonology at Nemours Children’s Subspecialty Care in Pensacola, Fla.
Elidemir reviewed Charlie’s death certificate at the request of the Globe and is not involved in the case.
Another pediatric pulmonary specialist who reviewed the death certificate at the Globe’s request said the form of pneumonia blamed for Charlie’s death is usually caused by a virus and can be treated if caught in time.
“This kind of pneumonia is very common, but dying from it is not,’’ said Dr. Michael S. Schechter, professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also is not involved in the case.
Through a spokesman, the medical examiner’s office said it could not elaborate.
Roshelle Henson, Charlie’s paternal grandmother, said she was relieved the medical examiner concluded her grandson died of natural causes.
“I’m glad that he wasn’t hurt on purpose,’’ said Henson, who lives in Alexandria, N.H. “I just hope he didn’t suffer.’’
The Lynn Shelter Association, which operates the shelter where Charlie lived, said in a statement it has taken steps since the death to improve its ability to spot health problems in children at its shelters.
“This was such a tragic event and has resulted in a new awareness of the skills our family shelter staff can use to keep all residents, especially our homeless children, healthy and safe,’’ said Dr. Alison Brookes, who leads the association’s board of directors.
Charlie’s mother, Laci Brand, 22, declined to comment. His father, Charles Brand, 24, did’nt respond to requests for comment
Charles Brand has said his relationship with Laci fell apart in the summer of 2015, and he moved out of the shelter less than two weeks before Charlie was found unresponsive.
Laci Brand, also known as Laci Kirk, previously told the Globe that Charlie was asleep 15 minutes before she found him not breathing and with blood coming from his nose.
“There was no sign of foul play nor were there any signs as to what took my little [b]oy’s life,’’ Brand wrote in a June 15 e-mail. “Every day without him, I die a little more inside.’’
When Charlie arrived at MassGeneral for Children at North Shore Medical Center in Salem on Sept. 26, 2015, he had no physical signs of trauma but his pupils showed no brain activity, according to an affidavit written by State Police Sergeant Robert C. LaBarge Jr. as part of a search warrant application. He wrote the searches were needed to look for evidence of reckless endangerment of a child, court records show.
Before Charlie’s death, employees at the shelter made two or three earlier reports about him to DCF, LaBarge wrote.
Two shelter workers who spoke with LaBarge said they had believed DCF would take custody of the baby.
In the affidavit, LaBarge wrote that one shelter employee said Laci Brand “would oftentimes leave [b]aby Charles unattended for long periods,’’ an accusation she has denied. Another worker tracked the absences in a log, LaBarge said.
Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @lauracrimaldi.
