ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) - A 29-year-old St. Joseph woman has been convicted of drowning her 6-month-old son in a bathtub.
A Buchanan County jury found Sydney Jones guilty of child abuse in the 2017 death of her son, Keith Lars III, at their home.
The St. Joseph News-Press reports Jones’ attorney, Corryn Hall, argued during closing arguments that the boy’s drowning was an accident because she was exhausted. The defense didn’t call any witnesses.
Prosecutors pointed to the testimony of Anthony Holmes, who said he found Jones holding the baby down in the water, with water up to her forearms.
A forensic pathologist testified during the trial that the baby died of drowning but showed no signs of trauma or abuse.
Jones faces 10 to 30 years when she is sentenced.
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Information from: St. Joseph News-Press/St. Joe, Missouri, http://www.newspressnow.com
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