McCown said an autopsy found that Tate died from asphyxiation. He said that when the day care operator found the baby, he was face down on a plastic mattress cover. He said Tate, who was swaddled in a blanket, rolled over, leaving his face against the plastic.
McCown said Tate's death was investigated by the Anderson County Child Fatality Team, which has members from the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, the coroner's office, the Department of Social Services and the State Law Enforcement Division.