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Vermont State Police say Melissa Robitille, left, and her boyfriend, Walter Richter III, put alcohol in her disabled son's IV tube, killing the 13-year-old boy. (AP Photo/Vermont State Police)
HARDWICK, Vt. » A woman and her boyfriend who police said put alcohol in her disabled 13-year-old son’s IV tube, killing him, were charged on Tuesday with murder.
Melissa Robitille and Walter Richter III were charged with second-degree murder in the death of Isaac Robitille. Melissa Robitille called police on Aug. 22 to report he was dead.
Isaac was born with significant medical conditions and multiple disabilities that required the assistance of caretakers, feeding tubes and intravenous tubes, police said.
Robitille and Richter, both 38 years old, were charged with using the IV tube to administer alcohol to the boy, leading to his death. An autopsy by the state medical examiner’s office found his blood alcohol content was 0.146 percent, about twice the legal limit for driving.
Isaac’s health conditions included a brain abnormality that was listed as the cause of death with the alcohol listed as a contributing factor.
It could not immediately be learned if Robitille and Richter had lawyers. A phone message left at a listing for Robitille was not immediately returned, and there was no listing for Richter in the small town of Hardwick.
Vermont State Police said Robitille and Richter were in custody but had not been processed in the court system as of Tuesday evening.
