Las Vegas NowParents Arrested For Son's Death in SUV

Parents Arrested For Son's Death in SUV

A shocking past is uncovered about the parents accused of neglecting their children and leaving one in a car for 17 hours, causing his death. After a two week investigation, police arrested Stanley and Colleen Rimer. They face seven counts each for second degree murder as well as child abuse and neglect.

The Rimer children say they were the ones taking care of each other and their parents didn't really notice their youngest brother had been missing for 17 hours. Pulled from the family SUV, four-year-old Jason Rimer was lifeless.

Read the arrest warrant against Stan and Colleen Rimer

For 17 hours, neither his parents nor five other siblings looked for him, and now a police investigation is shedding light on why. One brother explained that, "Jason could unbuckle his seatbelt but had never been known to open the car door on his own."

Their youngest son, Jason Rimer, had Myotonic Distrophy, a form of Muscular Distrophy. His siblings told police, because of his disability, when he was left alone in the family's car, he couldn't open a window, open the door or even honk the horn to alert someone that he was trapped.

Inside the home, one child noticed Jason was missing but didn't speak out because he says, "Sometime his parents get mad if he asked 'stupid questions.'"

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His daughter told police Stanley Rimer would beat his children when mad, "He would punch me anywhere. I mean, it was not a spanking or anything, he wanted to just hurt me."

Jason was last seen in the car coming home from church and one of his brothers was told to get him. Police say it was often only the kids that took care of Jason or each other.

Police say the neglect and abuse seen in the home was apparent from the beginning and it took two weeks to arrest the couple because investigators wanted to gather evidence.

"Every investigation that comes out of this department is taken with the utmost scrutiny, the utmost dedication to the details and factors. And it is those details and factors that determine the outcome of this case," said Metro Captain Vincent Cannito with the Crimes Against Youth and Family Detail.

Police say the kids were unwilling to speak out about their treatment because of their father, saying in the arrest report, "Stan Rimer told them not to speak with CPS because CPS wants to destroy the family."

Police called the living conditions inside the home foul smelling, because of animals and lack of cleaning -- especially in the kitchen and bathroom. They also say the kids had lice and were not being treated for it.

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