A Michigan mother has entered a plea to charges for leaving her infant son in the bathtub, where he drowned while she was on the phone for 20 minutes.
Olivia Miller, 23, entered a no-contest plea on Monday to involuntary manslaughter in the death of 8-month-old Asher Johnson, court records show. As part of the plea agreement, she faces up to a year in jail.
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As Law&Crime previously reported, the case came to light on Nov. 22, 2023, when mom called 911 at about 3:38 p.m. and told the emergency dispatcher that her son had just drowned in the bathtub of her home in the 4600 block of 16 Mile Road Northwest, Grand Rapids NBC affiliate WOOD reported . Once there, first responders found the infant lying face up on the floor and began performing lifesaving procedures. He died at a hospital.
Miller told detectives she had placed her son in the bathtub filled a few inches with water flowing, then went one room over to change the laundry. She claimed she returned after about five minutes to find her son floating faceup in the water with his mouth and nose beneath the surface. She then said she tried to resuscitate Asher until authorities arrived.