JOHNSON COUNTY —The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Tyler Pence, 43, on requested charges of first degree murder and child endangerment.
Just after 5:30p.m. Sept. 3, 2025, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a medical call near K-10 and Kill Creek Road near De Soto, according to a media release.
Inside the vehicle were Pence and two children. Life-saving measures were performed on both children on scene, however one child, a 3-year-old, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other child, a 1-year-old at the time of the incident, was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Hospital staff were able to provide adequate care for the then 1-year-old child who was eventually released from the hospital.
Through a collaborative effort with the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office, hospital staff, and a thorough investigation of the incident, investigators discovered the children had been left in the car on a hot day.
This case will now be handled by the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.