GUILTY OK - Teagan, 4, and Ryan Dennis, 3, die in hot truck, Tulsa, 13 June 2020 *dad arrested*

[Eloise]

If the car doors weren’t opening from inside I can see a 3 and 4 year old not being able to figure it out. And just cry, oh gosh it’s too heartbreaking to even imagine

In my experience, 4 year olds are physically capable, imaginative and curious enough to be able to find a door that isn't child-locked. That said there might be other reasons why they wouldn't, e.g. these kids specifically felt like they wouldn't be allowed to get out of the driver's side door, or something like that (AFAIK driver doors never have child locks enabled?)

 

[Seattle1]

Mother Speaks After Children Found Dead In Hot Vehicle

June 15, 2020

TULSA, Okla. -

**Update** Dustin Dennis has been released from jail after surveillance video confirmed that the children managed to get into the truck on their own. **

Cheyenne Trent says her biggest question now is "why."

Trent’s children, four-year-old Tegan and three-year-old Ryan, were everything to her.

"A lot of hurt knowing that I won't be able to hold my babies again," Trent said.

Trent hasn’t stopped crying after the deaths of her babies.

"I won't get to touch or hold them,” Trent said. “And not being able to tuck them in at night or give them kisses is killing me right now.”

Tulsa police said the children died in their father's truck Saturday night after being locked inside for over five hours. Police said Dustin Dennis claims he "removed the children from the vehicle and a short time later, passed out and was asleep for four to five hours."

Authorities were able to use surveillance video from neighbors to identify Dennis.

Dennis was in jail facing two counts of second-degree murder but was released on Monday after surveillance video confirmed that the children managed to get into the truck on their own.

Trent said she and Dennis, her ex-boyfriend, had equal custody of the children.

Trent said the children loved their father and never had any issues with his parenting. Trent was scheduled to have the children this week, but Dennis begged to have the children this weekend.

"If I had just been mean and said, ‘No, no, you can't have them,’ none of this would've happened,” Trent said. “They would've been safe at home. I feel like it’s my fault.”

Tulsa Country District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said it feels like déjà vu with the deaths of toddlers Tony and Miracle Crook, the two toddlers who were found unresponsive last month. The Crook toddlers were laid to rest Saturday morning.
"The first thought that went through my head was, ‘Here we go again,’ Kunzweiler said. “And think about those first responders and they’re having to deal with a situation like this. I can’t imagine having been here within the last month desperately trying to find the two children who are missing and now we’re at a new another scene with two other children."

[..]

Trent wants to know why her babies are never coming back home.

"If I was to see Dustin right now, I would be 'why?' Those were our babies!” Trent said. “They were supposed to be the top priority. They were supposed to be everything. He took away so much. He took everything.”

Trent described Tegan as sassy and loved to dance while Ryan loved to swim and ride horses.

The only comfort Trent has right now is they were together when they died.

There is a GoFundMe that was set up by the family to pay for the children’s funeral expenses. You can donate here.

 

[Seattle1]

Brother and sister, aged 3 and 4, found dead in car ‘after dad, 31, locked them inside for five hours’

Video of truck at link

 

[Catmommy]

There is nothing but tragedy here. The momma will blame herself for the rest of her life; if only she'd said "no". The daddy will blame himself for the rest of his life and rightly he should. The loss of these sweet babies can never be gotten over of for any body who loved and cared about them; even for a complete stranger like me.

 

[DD8]

There is nothing but tragedy here. The momma will blame herself for the rest of her life; if only she'd said "no". The daddy will blame himself for the rest of his life and rightly he should. The loss of these sweet babies can never be gotten over of for any body who loved and cared about them; even for a complete stranger like me.

Right. Tragic accident and I don't believe it belongs on WS.

 

[Seattle1]

I can't stop thinking about this family in their grief. I've listened to video by the mother's sister when the tragedy was viewed as a direct result of dad's negligence and double murder charges filed against him -- and even the obit for the children where the father was not acknowledged.

I read today that Police previously said they received video from a next door neighbor who filmed Dennis locking up his truck without taking the children back inside with him.

I have to ask: did police truly view such a video that caused them to arrest this man and take him to jail? Did the next-door neighbor try to set this man up? I really want to know how such a grievous mistake happened.

Dad states he could not find his kids when he woke up about 5 hours later only to find them on the floor of his truck. (Police claim the kids were inside the hot truck for about 5 hours and never got out).

And finally, dad was released after investigators reviewed a neighbor's surveillance camera footage that showed his four-year-old daughter, Tegan, and three-year-old son, Ryan, getting into the truck but not coming back out.

After reviewing the new evidence provided by detectives from the Child Crisis Unit, a judge released him.

Was dad in shock when he went to jail on Saturday after being told he left his children inside the truck? Did he deny it, and protest the alleged video, begging for more surveillance right then and there to disprove the allegation?

I've read upthread that dad asked for the weekend visitation as opposed to a planned weekday visit which begs why did the children get back inside the truck seemingly soon after the trip to the QuickStop? Did they believe they were going home? Did they want to go home?

So many questions and no answers!

Noting the doorhandles are waist high to the investigators. That must have been a reach for Teagan or younger Ryan that are appear about the same height.

Tulsa dad released from jail after video shows kids climbed into hot truck on their own before dying | Daily Mail Online

 

[TGIRecovered]

Have police released either of the neighbors’ videos? The only video I’ve seen is of police standing around a parked truck.

 

[Seattle1]

Dennis was in jail facing two counts of second-degree murder but was released on Monday after surveillance video confirmed that the children managed to get into the truck on their own.

It was 90+ degrees outside.

Did somebody tell the kids to go wait in the truck? Were they told to go play outside -- Dad wants to take a nap and they just decided to climb inside the truck?

I recall having to go out and turn on the A/C to cool down the vehicle or I couldn't get the kids inside. Same with heat during the cold winter mornings.

 

[sloane7777]

Apparently he has been released?

UPDATE: Father Released After Video Shows Children Climb Into Hot Truck On Their Own

wait a sec didn't they say they had a video of the father getting out and locking the truck? I'm catching up sorry if I'm late and someone has figured this out

 

[Seattle1]

wait a sec didn't they say they had a video of the father getting out and locking the truck? I'm catching up sorry if I'm late and someone has figured this out

Yes. Dad was arrested on Saturday after LE allegedly viewed next-door neighbor's surveillance video showing him locking the truck and going inside, and he was released on Monday with the District Attorney saying (another) neighbor's video showed the children getting in the truck on their own and not getting out.

More questions than answers.

 

[sloane7777]

Yes. Dad was arrested on Saturday after LE allegedly viewed next-door neighbor's surveillance video showing him locking the truck and going inside, and he was released on Monday with the Judge saying (another) neighbor's video showed the children getting in the truck on their own.

More questions than answers.

so the children unlocked it and got in but couldn't unlock it to get out , no one playing in the drivers seat honking the horn.....OK

 

[DD8]

Charges were dropped because he did not murder his children.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weat...ropped-after-2-children-die-in-hot-car/760080

 

[Cortne]

I apologize for thinking he left them in the car intentionally but a five hour nap is interesting to me. Kinda.

jmo

 

[musicaljoke]

The five hr nap report may be wrong too.

 

[GinaSeikwa]

I don’t understand that he was first said to be on video exiting and locking his truck alone as per video surveillance .
The locking part was clearly mentioned so perhaps it was seen on the video as the headlights of the truck flashing or even an audible beep beep.
Then later the kids just opened the truck doors while he was napping.
How? If the truck had previously been secured and locked. The doors would have been locked. I don’t know about this one. Waiting ...

 

[Seattle1]

I don’t understand that he was first said to be on video exiting and locking his truck alone as per video surveillance .
The locking part was clearly mentioned so perhaps it was seen on the video as the headlights of the truck flashing or even an audible beep beep.
Then later the kids just opened the truck doors while he was napping.
How? If the truck had previously been secured and locked. The doors would have been locked. I don’t know about this one. Waiting ...

It seems to me that the best explanation here is that the video investigators first relied on that dad locked the truck and went inside was recorded on a day other than Saturday when the children died. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

The five hr nap report may be wrong too.

Police are attributing the statement about falling asleep for 5 hours to Dennis, the dad.

Whether dad was sleeping or studying, the truth is he did not check on his kids for 5 hours and they died inside his hot truck.

Dennis had told police that he took his children to a convenience store around noon Saturday. Upon arriving home, he went inside and fell asleep for four or five hours. When he awoke he found the children inside the vehicle. He called the police after he carried the children inside the house.

Police said the children were in the car for five hours as the temperature hit low 90s in Tulsa on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

^^sbbm

 

[MsMarple]

I apologize for thinking he left them in the car intentionally but a five hour nap is interesting to me. Kinda.

jmo

Yes, it's hard to get past the 4-5 hours where a 3- and 4- year old were essentially left alone while dad napped. And one source used the term "passed out" which is distressing.

I accept the evidence from LE that the dad didn't put the kids in the truck but I cannot call this a "tragic accident" because it wasn't, it was completely avoidable IMO.

 

[LietKynes]

Such a sad case.
Trying not to judge until the facts all come out.

Since the video shows they climbed into the truck on their own, even after Dustin locked it after returning from the store --- maybe he had shown them previously how to unlock it so they could get in the vehicle themselves ?
As in before a trip somewhere he could just tell them to go get in the truck and we'll go to the store ?
<modsnip>

Rest in peace, Teagan and Ryan !


<modsnip>

Hard to know what to think about this case.

 

[Seattle1]

Do I have this right, initially it was reported that camera footage showed him getting out of the truck without the children, but then more footage was found of the children going into the truck later by themselves? Is there footage showing them getting out of the truck after him, then? Or could they have been left home alone while he went out? Then he comes home and falls asleep and they decide to go outside?
I'm not judging, just wondering the timeline. I hope this was an accident, exhausted and fell asleep, but not additional negligence.
My heart goes out to those who love these children, especially their mama, siblings, and grandparents.

It's a very tragic story and I'm not sure that it's over.

Dad says he took the kids with him to a convenience store around noon and afterward went to sleep for about 5 hours.

He said that when he awoke, he found his two kids inside his truck and carried them inside his house and called 911.

The children were only ages 3 & 4.

Perhaps he also put them down for a nap when he went to sleep.

Dad's post on June 11 published in the Daily Mail is alarming given what happened. Was he self-medicating?

It's hard to sleep 5 hours midday with two kids 3 & 4-years-old.

MOO

Two children are found dead after being 'locked inside their father's truck while he slept indoors' | Daily Mail Online