Rolla babysitter charged in connection to drowning of 2-year-old boy
By Stephanie Southey
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PHELPS COUNTY, Missouri (KOMU) — A Rolla woman was charged Tuesday in connection to the drowning of a 2-year-old boy.
Emily Buell, 33, is charged with first-degree involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child and abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death.
Court documents say Buell was the babysitter of the 2-year-old boy.
Phelps County sheriff’s deputies were called to the 11000 block of Cedar Grove Lane around 10:15 a.m. Monday after a report of a boy falling into a swimming pool, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Court documents say Buell sent the juvenile children downstairs while “she went upstairs with two other adults to consume alcohol and engage in other activities.”
The boy left the home through an unlocked door, walked onto a deck and fell into a covered swimming pool that had “at least 12 inches of water on top of the pool cover,” according to court documents.
The boy was taken to Phelps Health by a private vehicle and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Investigators say Buell “smelled strongly” of alcohol while in the hospital emergency room. Court documents say Buell admitted to being drunk the night before and taking multiple shots of alcohol the morning of the drowning.
Buell allegedly had a blood alcohol content of .097% while in the emergency room, according to court documents.
She was arrested and taken to the Phelps County Jail, where she remains on a $100,000 bond. A docket hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
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