Read article : Judge sets bond for mother indicted in son's drowning death | News
A judge on Thursday set $50,000 bond for the Sabine Parish woman charged with murder in the death of her toddler son, who wandered away from home and fell into a neighbor's pool and drowned.
Christina Rivers, 23, of Zwolle was indicted for second-degree murder on Monday in the June death of her 2-year-old son, Mason. The grand jury that returned the indictment concluded Rivers showed gross negligence in the parental supervision her son received.
Rivers had been held without bond. District Judge Stephen Beasley granted a defense motion to set bond.
State law allows a person to be charged with murder in cases where there are other offenses, including cruelty to juveniles, even when there is no specific intent to harm someone. A provision of cruelty to juveniles is criminal neglect, which is the accusation lodged against Rivers, Sabine District Attorney Don Burkett said earlier this week.
She faces mandatory life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.
Rivers' attorneys said the murder charge is overblown.
"While this is a tragic situation, it is not a second-degree murder case," defense co-counsel Dhu Thompson said after Thursday's hearing. "She is devastated by the loss of her child, as is the entire family."
As part of the bail hearing, Burkett disclosed results of blood drawn on Rivers on the day of Mason's death. Tests indicated she had 320 ng/ml of methamphetamine and 100 ng/ml of amphetamines in her system. The amounts equate to taking methamphetamine over a period of time.
A toxicology report done after Mason's death revealed the child also had methamphetamine in his system. Investigators are still trying to determine if he was exposed to second-hand smoke or ingested the drug directly.
Rivers told authorities on the day of Mason's death that she had left him unattended for only a short period of time in the living room of their home while she took a shower. She said she came out of the bathroom to find him missing.
Investigators said a motorist reported seeing Mason around 10:20 a.m. unattended in the yard of a home that sits behind Christina Rivers' home and fronts a highway. The call about Mason's disappearance came after 2 p.m., authorities said. They said it appeared the toddler climbed onto the ledge of a Jacuzzi and fell in.
An autopsy indicated the child had been dead approximately one hour prior to being found.
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