On February 28, 2024, eight-month-old Mateo Harding was intentionally drowned by his mother, Esperanza Rae Harding, in the bathtub of a Bloomington, Minnesota hotel room. Harding told police she was trying to take a bath when the baby started crying in the other room and she became upset that she could not enjoy her bath. Her 18-year-old boyfriend, Edwin Trudeau, who reportedly did not like the child and had pressured her to give him up for adoption, was texted by Harding before the incident with messages including "I'm about to do something bad" and "He going to no be here much longer." After killing the child, Harding wrapped the body in a backpack and disposed of it in a dumpster; the body was never recovered. She initially told hospital staff the baby had died of natural causes before eventually admitting to police what had happened. Harding pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder and was sentenced to 384 months (32 years) in prison, an upward departure from the presumptive sentence of 306 months. Trudeau pleaded guilty to aiding an offender.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
All four documents describe an intentional drowning. Document 1 states: "A 20-year-old Minnesota mother is accused of drowning her 8-month-old baby in a tub at a hotel." Document 2 states: "Court documents allege Harding drowned her son in a Bloomington hotel bathtub on Feb. 28." Document 3 references "second-degree intentional murder for the death of her eight-month-old child." Document 4 states she "allegedly drowned the boy."
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
While the documents describe the death as drowning rather than using terms like slapping or punching, the act of intentionally drowning a child necessarily involves physically holding the child underwater, which constitutes an inflicted physical act. Document 4 states Harding "allegedly drowned the boy" intentionally after becoming upset, and she was convicted of second-degree intentional murder per the Hennepin County Attorney's press release.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The child's biological mother, Esperanza Rae Harding, was directly responsible for the child's death. Document 1 states: "A 20-year-old Minnesota mother is accused of drowning her 8-month-old baby in a tub at a hotel." Document 3 confirms she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 384 months for second-degree intentional murder.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Edwin Trudeau, the mother's 18-year-old boyfriend (not the child's biological father), was involved. Document 1 states he "allegedly didn't like her child and wanted her to give him up for adoption to prove he was her top priority." Document 2 states: "Harding told police her 18-year-old boyfriend, Edwin Trudeau, did not like her son. She said it was his idea to throw her son in the dumpster and not to tell anyone." He was charged with aiding an offender per documents 2, 3, and 4.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Multiple documents confirm adults were charged. Document 1 states: "Harding faces one count of second-degree murder. Harding and her boyfriend are both in custody." Document 3 states: "Esperanza Rae Harding, 21, was sentenced Thursday to 384 months on one count of second-degree intentional murder." Document 3 also states: "Her co-defendant, Edwin Trudeau, pleaded guilty to aiding an offender, accomplice after the fact."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Multiple documents explicitly state the death occurred in a hotel. Document 1 states: "Harding admitted that Mateo died at a Bloomington hotel on Feb. 28." Document 2 states: "Court documents allege Harding drowned her son in a Bloomington hotel bathtub on Feb. 28." Document 4 similarly references a "Bloomington Hotel."
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge across the documents. First, the child's body was never recovered; Document 1 states "As of Friday, police haven't found Mateo's body" and Document 2 confirms "The body still has not been found." Second, the mother's boyfriend, Edwin Trudeau, exerted coercive pressure on Harding to choose between him and the child—Document 1 reports he "wanted her to give him up for adoption to prove he was her top priority." Third, Harding photographed the dead child in the tub and sent the images to Trudeau, and texted him "I'm about to do something bad... He going to no be here much longer" before or during the act. Fourth, Harding's sentence of 384 months was an upward departure from the presumptive 306 months under Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines per Document 3. Fifth, the police investigation was initiated only after friends of Harding told hospital staff to involve authorities due to her "suspicious" behavior, as Document 2 states: "Friends explained they suggested hospital staff should get authorities involved because of Harding's 'suspicious' behavior."
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