BOULDER — A Lima mother accused of killing her disabled toddler will stand trial in January at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Boulder after the state and the defendant agreed on a change of venue.
Watch here Lima mom's murder trial changes venue:
Nichole Boyer is charged with deliberate homicide in the death of her son, Sammy Deut. Boyer called police in October 2025 to report that her son was dead.
When law enforcement arrived at the Lima home, they found the badly decomposing remains of the 2-year-old in an upstairs bedroom. Despite cold temperatures outside, court documents say an air conditioner in the room was on.
Court documents say the last time Boyer stopped giving the boy water was about a month before she called police, and she was unclear whether she stopped giving Sammy food and water before or after he was deceased.
Court documents say Boyer told police that she didn't prioritize Sammy and that she believed she should have done more for the child.
When investigators asked Boyer if Sammy starved to death, she said she didn't know. When investigators asked if the child froze to death, Boyer said she didn't think so.
Three other children and Boyer's father were also living in the home at the time. Boyer's father, Christopher Cox, has also been charged in the boy's death, but according to the Beaverhead County Attorney's Office, his proceedings have not changed venue at this time.
In May, the Dillon community and local first responders came together to honor the child with a special funeral and celebration of life.
At the May 2026 funeral, Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office Chaplain, Reserve Deputy, and Volunteer EMT Dale Stewart reflected on the community's response.
"I guess we couldn't help Sammy when he was alive, because we didn't know what was going on, and so we were there at the end of his life, and so this is a closure," Stewart said.
Boyer and Cox remain in the Beaverhead County Jail.
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