One-Month-Old Baby Thought to Have Died in Hot Car Tragedy Actually Passed from Cocaine Overdose

A heartbreaking case in Peoria, Illinois, has taken a shocking turn after it was revealed that a one-month-old baby, initially thought to have died from being left in a hot car, actually passed away from cocaine intoxication.

The Peoria County Coroner’s Office announced on Tuesday that baby Grayson Lunsford had lethal levels of cocaine in his system, which was determined to be “the immediate cause of death.” In addition to cocaine intoxication, the infant had also suffered from heat stress, dehydration, malnutrition, and neglect, according to the coroner’s findings.

On September 16, Peoria police were called to the scene after reports of an unresponsive infant inside a U-Haul pickup truck. Grayson had been found by a family member and was not breathing. Authorities pronounced him dead at the scene, according to Fox2Now.

An autopsy revealed that the baby had been deceased for 12 to 24 hours before being discovered. His mother, 26-year-old Andrea Lunsford, was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and endangering the life of a child. She has been held in Peoria County Jail since her arrest.

Investigators are still working to determine how the cocaine entered the infant’s system. On the day of Grayson’s death, witnesses reported seeing the U-Haul truck parked for hours with its windows rolled up, further complicating the tragic circumstances surrounding the case.

According to 25NewsNow, Luncsford’s father told authorities that his daughter had been calling him “all day” on the day of the incident, asking for gas money. When he refused, he texted her, warning, “You know that baby can overheat and die. Please let us help you.”

Luncsford reportedly admitted to investigators that she had a “$20-a-day crack usage habit.” She also admitted that, on the day of the tragedy, she had propped up Grayson’s bottles in his car seat, expecting the infant to “feed himself,” according to the outlet.

In the days leading up to Grayson’s death, the Department of Children and Family Services had attempted to contact Luncsford over concerns for the child’s welfare. Records show that the agency had made several visits to her home as recently as September 6, just 10 days before the tragedy, after identifying “a substantial risk to a child,” as reported by WCIA.

Luncsford’s troubling history with child services extends back to 2021 when her older child was born, and both mother and baby tested positive for cocaine. That child was later adopted after Luncsford lost her parental rights in 2022, according to court records.

Luncsford, who has a history of criminal charges including aggravated battery, was scheduled for a court appearance on October 17, with a follow-up hearing set for October 9, reported 25NewsNow. If convicted, she faces up to 100 years in prison.

This tragic case has shocked the local community, raising concerns about child neglect, substance abuse, and the vulnerabilities of the child welfare system.