Parents Of Child Who Died In Daycare Speak

Thursday, May 24th 2007, 10:01 am

By: News On 6

The parents of a toddler killed at a Tulsa daycare center are speaking out. And the woman they trusted to care for their son is charged with first degree murder. The News On 6â€™s Heather Lewin talked to the Mintonâ€™s about their loss. She reports Robert and Katy Minton thought they did everything right in choosing a daycare, but now, the woman recommended by friends, who checked out online and seemed great with kids, is behind bars accused of murdering their 2-year-old son.

"She was DHS approved, there was no reason to even suspect anything," said the toddlers father Robert Minton.

Robert and his wife Katy were stunned when the woman who'd looked after their children for nearly a year was hauled away in handcuffs. Police say Vicki Chiles confessed to putting tape over the mouth of 2-year-old Joshua, who lost consciousness and later died.

"She just seemed like such a nice person,â€ Robert said. â€œShe worked good with the kids; we never would've suspected anything."

"I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it, I'm still having a hard time dealing with it," Joshuaâ€™s mother Katy Minton said.

As they try to comprehend his death, reminders of their little boy are everywhere.

"Cleaning my truck out the other day and I found a little hat and shoes, and I just lost it again," Robert Minton said.

"We just take it moment by moment,â€ said Katy Minton. â€œSometimes we laugh about the things we remember and sometimes we can't. Sometimes there's too much."

The Mintons say their only comfort is that Joshua was such a happy child the short time he was here.

"The first time he saw a tractor I remember and he just went nuts," said Katy.

But with their grief comes anger. The couple still wonders why parents werenâ€™t told that Chiles was facing a felony abuse charge, and why DHS didn't arrive until late afternoon the day they planned to shut the center down.

"Why didn't they act on this before something happened like it did," said Robert Minton.

The couple says they hope what happened to their son will bring change, so other parents are more informed about DHS investigations.

Chiles will be in court next Tuesday to face felony child abuse and murder charges.

Watch the video: Parents Of Toddler Killed At Daycare Open Up About Their Son's Death

Watch the video: WEB EXTRA: Robert And Katy Minton Talk About Their Son

Related stories:

5/17/2007 2-Year-Old Dies After Being Tied Up At Daycare, Says Police

5/18/2007 Selecting The Right Daycare For Your Children

5/18/2007 Daycare Worker Accused Of Killing Child Was Already Under Investigation

5/21/2007 Daycare Owner Accused Of Murder Had Previous Charges

5/22/2007 - Family Of Toddler Who Died At Daycare Speaks Out