Staff Report
Updated at 9:15 p.m. with information from the arrest report.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a tragic incident today, 23-year-old Tierra A. Scott-Franklin was taken into custody following a distressing call she made to 911, claiming she had drowned her baby.
The Gainesville Police Department reported that officers arrived at an apartment in Sweetwater Square, located at 3101 NE 15th Street, around 12:47 p.m. on January 14. Upon their arrival, they discovered an unresponsive female infant. Despite immediate efforts to save her, the child was unfortunately pronounced dead at UF Health Shands.
Once at the GPD Headquarters, Scott-Franklin was read her Miranda rights. She then allegedly confessed to placing her baby on her back in a bathtub filled halfway with water, leaving her unattended, and closing the door, expressing an expectation for the infant to “go.”
Scott-Franklin reportedly recounted that she returned to the bathroom approximately five minutes later, retrieved the baby from the tub, and found her unresponsive with a white substance emanating from her nose and mouth. She attempted to perform chest compressions but ceased when she noticed liquid exiting the baby’s mouth.
Scott-Franklin reportedly said, “If I can’t have my baby, no one can… I’m sorry, but I don’t regret it.” She said she was facing “other legal penalties” and was afraid she would lose custody of the baby. She said she had previously researched “suffocation” and also said she has been diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses and hears voices.
Scott-Franklin has been charged with first-degree homicide and violating probation.
Scott-Franklin was arrested in August 2025 for battering a 67-year-old victim and resisting an officer without violence. After being placed in a patrol vehicle, she slipped out of her handcuffs and escaped, leaving her newborn baby with police officers, but she was quickly apprehended. In December 2025, she entered a plea of nolo contendere to the charges, and Judge Denise Ferrero sentenced her to five years of probation, with a requirement for a mental health evaluation.
Scott-Franklin’s bail will be set on January 15.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
