Parents Of 4-Month-Old Boy Who Suffocated In 'Time Out' Indicted For Murder, Prosecutors Say

BURLINGTON COUNTY, N.J. (CBS) -- The parents of a 4-month-old boy who suffocated have been indicted for murder, Burlington County prosecutors said Tuesday. Forty-two-year-old William Herring and 23-year-old Brianna Brochhausen were indicted by a Burlington County grand jury on first-degree murder charges and endangering the welfare of a child.

Officials say 4-month-old Hunter was suffocated at the Hilltop Motel in Springfield Township on Feb. 14, 2018, where the family was living at the time.

The prosecutor's office says an investigation revealed that Herring and Brochhausen were frustrated because Hunter would not stop crying and placed him in "time out." Authorities say the baby was positioned on his stomach on the bed with the comforter pulled over him, covering his head and entire body.

Police say the parents then went outside to smoke cigarettes, and when they returned to their room 10 minutes later, they discovered Hunter was not breathing.

Hunter was initially taken to Virtua Hospital in Mount Holly and then immediately transferred to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He died on March 3, 2018 after being removed from life support.