Left: Amber Winstead. Right: Ki’Arri Rayne Winstead (Amber Winstead/Facebook).
A Kentucky woman may be headed to prison after she took a bath with her 3-month-old son on New Year’s Day while apparently under the influence of drugs and fell asleep, causing the boy to drown.
Amber Winstead, aged 36, admitted guilt to manslaughter on Friday concerning the tragic loss of Ki’Arri Rayne Winstead, whose lifeless body was discovered in a Louisville motel on January 1. Prosecutors are advocating for a seven-year prison term, as reported by local ABC affiliate WHAS. Her sentencing is set for December 11.
Authorities arrived at a Motel 6 on Airport Hotel Boulevard around 4:30 a.m., discovering a baby who was unresponsive. It was revealed that Winstead had entered the bathtub with her child and subsequently fell asleep. She was awakened hours later to find Ki’Arri submerged and not breathing. Emergency personnel declared the infant deceased at the scene.
In accordance with the plea deal, charges of persistent felony offender were dismissed, as detailed by local Fox affiliate WDRB.
Winstead was apprehended in the parking lot of a funeral home, just prior to her son’s burial, according to her lawyer. Bryce Dean, her attorney, expressed that Winstead wishes to be placed under house arrest until her sentencing.
“Her desire is to visit her child’s grave and gain a measure of closure before heading to the Department of Corrections,” Dean conveyed to CBS affiliate WLKY.
Judge Trish Morris of the Jefferson Circuit Court indicated she would contemplate the request, acknowledging her “obvious empathy” for Winstead.
“The situation is tragic all around,” the judge reportedly said.
Ki’Arri’s obituary said he was born to his “loving mother” on Sept. 24, 2024.
“Ki’Arri was a little angel, a miracle baby whose bubbly personality and infectious joy lit up every room he entered. He was a precious bundle of happiness, always calm and content, bringing peace to those around him. He never cried, and his gentle, happy demeanor made him a perfect little guy who was loved deeply by his family,” the obituary said.
