A 23-year-old woman is in custody facing a charge of first-degree premeditated homicide after police say she admitted to drowning her infant daughter to prevent authorities from taking the child away.
Tierra Scott-Franklin was arrested Wednesday afternoon following a 911 call she placed herself, reporting that she had drowned her 7-month-old at the Sweetwater Square Apartments. According to the Gainesville Police Department, first responders arrived at the scene shortly after 12:45 p.m. to find the infant unresponsive in a bathtub.
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Emergency medical personnel attempted lifesaving measures and rushed the child to a local hospital, but she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
In an arrest report, investigators detailed a disturbing interview conducted at the police station. After waving her rights, Scott-Franklin allegedly provided a step-by-step account of the incident. Police say she admitted to filling the bathtub halfway and placing the infant into the water face-up. She then reportedly left the bathroom, closed the door, and waited outside for approximately five minutes, expecting the child to “go.”
When Scott-Franklin returned to the bathroom, she removed the infant from the water. She described seeing a “white substance” coming from the child’s nose and mouth. She told detectives she briefly attempted chest compressions but stopped when she saw fluid expelled from the baby’s mouth.
The arrest report indicates the drowning may have been motivated by Scott-Franklin’s fear of losing custody due to prior legal issues. “If I can’t have my baby, no one can,” she allegedly told police, adding, “I’m sorry, but I don’t regret it.”
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Investigators noted that Scott-Franklin was currently serving a five-year probation sentence stemming from a 2025 battery conviction involving a 67-year-old victim. She told officers she believed she was facing further penalties and feared the state would remove the child from her care.
During the interview, Scott-Franklin also claimed to suffer from multiple mental illnesses and reported hearing voices. A review of her digital history allegedly showed searches for terms related to “suffocation.”
Scott-Franklin has been booked into the Alachua County Jail.
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