Insets, left to right: Amber Winstead (Kentucky Online Offender Lookup) and Ki’Arri Rayne Winstead (Louisville Memorial Gardens). Background: Motel 6 in Louisville, Kentucky, where Ki’Arri drowned (Google Maps).
A Kentucky woman is headed to prison for nearly a decade after she took a bath with her 3-month-old son on New Year’s Day while under the influence of drugs and fell asleep, causing the boy to drown.
Amber Winstead, aged 36, has been handed a nine-year prison sentence following her guilty plea to manslaughter in the tragic death of her son, Ki’Arri Rayne Winstead. This heartbreaking incident occurred on January 1 at a Louisville motel. Prosecutors informed Law&Crime that Winstead’s sentence includes seven years for manslaughter, supplemented by two additional years due to a parole violation related to a 2021 narcotics possession charge. She must serve 85 percent of her manslaughter sentence before becoming eligible for parole consideration.
The distressing events unfolded at a Motel 6 on Airport Hotel Boulevard, where police responded to an emergency call at approximately 4:30 a.m. Upon arrival, officers discovered an unresponsive infant. Investigations revealed that Winstead had taken a bath with her son and unintentionally fell asleep. Tragically, when she awoke, the child was submerged and lifeless. Emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
In a plea agreement, a charge of being a persistent felony offender was dismissed, as reported by local Fox affiliate WDRB.
Winstead’s arrest took place under somber circumstances, occurring in the parking lot of a funeral home just before her son’s burial. Her attorney, Bryce Dean, expressed her desire to be placed under house arrest before beginning her sentence. Dean conveyed that Winstead wishes to visit her child’s grave to find some measure of closure before entering the Department of Corrections.
Judge Trish Morris of the Jefferson Circuit Court acknowledged the request, expressing “obvious empathy” for Winstead’s situation. However, it remains unclear whether Winstead was granted the opportunity to visit her son’s grave before her incarceration, as noted by CBS affiliate WLKY.
Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Trish Morris said she would consider the request, saying she has “obvious empathy” for the defendant. It’s unclear if Winstead was able to see her son’s grave before her sentence.
“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.
