Background: News footage of Sweetwater Square Apartments in Gainesville, Fla. (WCJB). Inset: Tierra Scott-Franklin (Alachua County Sheriff”s Office).
A Florida mother is facing a homicide charge following allegations that she drowned her infant daughter in a bathtub, authorities have reported.
On Wednesday, 23-year-old Tierra Scott-Franklin was taken into custody after she allegedly called 911 from her Gainesville residence to report the drowning of her 7-month-old daughter. According to a statement from the Gainesville Police Department, first responders arrived at the Sweetwater Square Apartments in Gainesville that afternoon and discovered the baby “unresponsive in a bathtub.”
As per an arrest report reviewed by Law&Crime, emergency medical services arrived at the scene at 12:47 p.m. Despite attempts to revive the infant, she was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Scott-Franklin was brought to the police station for questioning. After being informed of her rights, she reportedly confessed to filling the bathtub halfway and placing her baby in the water, face-up. It is alleged that she then left the room, closing the door behind her, with the intention that her child would not survive.
Approximately five minutes later, Scott-Franklin re-entered the bathroom and removed the child from the tub. She informed the police that she observed a “white substance” coming from the infant’s nose and mouth. She claimed to have attempted chest compressions but ceased when fluid exited the child’s mouth.
The report further reveals that Scott-Franklin told police, “If I can’t have my baby, no one can,” and expressed regretlessness by saying, “I’m sorry, but I don’t regret it.” According to the Alachua Chronicle, Scott-Franklin was previously on a five-year probation following a no-contest plea to a 2025 battery charge involving a 67-year-old victim. She allegedly conveyed to authorities her fear of losing custody of her daughter due to “other legal penalties.” Scott-Franklin also disclosed struggles with mental health issues and experiencing auditory hallucinations.
Scott-Franklin allegedly admitted to searching “suffocation” online.
Scott-Franklin was charged with first-degree premeditated homicide and booked into the Alachua County Jail. She was scheduled for a bond hearing on Thursday.
