GRENADA COUNTY – Investigators with the Grenada Police Department are looking into the death of a 2-year old boy after his mother said he drowned in the bathtub. Jeremiah Smith was pronounced dead at Grenada Lake Medical Center, on Jan. 11, after emergency personnel worked for nearly two hours to revive him.
Captain James Russell Carver said police responded to the home of Latondra Smith on Lynch Street in Grenada, after she called and said her son had drowned. When authorities arrived, they found Jeremiah on the floor naked, unresponsive and bruised.
Captain Carver said EMT’s transported the toddler to Grenada Lake Medical Center were attempts to revive him failed. His initial cause of death was ruled as drowning.
Captain Carver said as part of his investigation he viewed Jeremiah’s body and confirmed that there were bruises on his abdomen, shoulder and forehead.
“Some of the bruises were old,” Carver said. “And some had been made within a 24-hour period.”
Smith reportedly told police that she left the bathroom that morning and when she returned Jeremiah was not breathing and she took him out of the bathtub. Carver said the bruises on Jeremiah’s body did not contribute to his death, but a full determination could not be made until the autopsy report returned from the crime lab in Jackson.
Captain Carver said at this time, Smith, who is nine-months pregnant and has two other children, ages 5 and 3, is not considered a suspect in the case. He also said, to his knowledge, the Department of Human Services has never been called to Smith’s residence for complaints against the children.
Smith, however, does have a prior felony conviction and served three years in prison for credit card fraud. She was released in February 2009.
Captain Carver said DHS was at the hospital when Jeremiah was brought in and in the case of an injury or death of a child, emergency officials are required to notify them.
This case remains under investigation.
Be the first to comment