Kalamazoo Mother Whose Child Drowned In Tub Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter

A Kalamazoo woman accused of being responsible for her daughter’s drowning has now pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

26-year-old Jennifer Spicer’s trial was set to start Tuesday in Kalamazoo County Court, but instead she made the plea, with MLive reporting that a charge of second-degree child abuse was dropped as a result. Spicer will be allowed to retain custody of her three other children for now, and her sentencing will take place in April 2018 to allow Child Protective Services to determine her progress.

In January 2017, Spicer’s 7-month-old daughter Jahionna was found face down in the bathtub, and despite lifesaving efforts by Public Safety Officers she was unable to be revived; reportedly, Spicer had put her 1 and 2-year-old children in the bath together, and left Jahionna in an infant tub in the larger bath. She left the room for a few minutes and came back to find the baby face-down.

At her sentencing, Spicer could get up to 15 years in prison.

BONUS VIDEO: Lakeview Schools Board President Kathleen Moore