A 33-year-old woman faces murder charges and the possibility of the death penalty after she was accused of drowning her seven-year-old daughter.
According to a press release, Brandi Elliott of Hendersonville, Tennessee was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of her daughter Piper.
On July 13, police responded to reports of a child who had drowned in a creek outside of Nashville. Following an investigation, officials learned the child’s mother, Elliott, was allegedly responsible for the seven-year-old’s death.
Elliott reportedly told police she left her apartment for some alone time “after a rough day,” but her daughter followed her and refused to leave her side. Elliott took her daughter to a greenway across the street and held her “like a large mouth bass” until she felt her “bubbling.”
She told Piper to be quiet as she continued to hold her underwater.
Elliott attempted CPR, but her daughter was pronounced dead at a local hospital later that night.
During her court appearance, Elliott admitted she had previously been diagnosed with postpartum depression when Piper was two years old.
“When my daughter was two, I kind of lost it like I did this time,” Elliott said, according to WKRN. “I had postpartum depression and they gave me medicine for it. I was having a really bad time with sleeping.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Piper’s father, Jon Elliott, a disabled veteran, cover funeral arrangements and other expenses.
Jon is currently hospitalized, though it has not been revealed why.
“Piper brought her daddy a bunch of coloring book pictures she colored for him to hang up on the wall of his hospital room [and] a few hours later she was killed,” the fundraiser states.
So far more than $6,000 has been raised.
How could anyone do such a thing, much less a mother! Rest in peace, Piper.
READ MORE:
- Five teenage boys work together to save little kids from drowning in icy, frozen water
- Grandmother dies after selflessly jumping into creek to save drowning granddaughter – rest in peace
