A Lauderdale County woman has been charged with murder after allegedly drowning her 2-year-old son.
At a press conference Wednesday, Sheriff Ward Calhoun said deputies responded to a 911 call of a disturbance at a home in the 2600 block of Bolen Long Creek Road at approximately 7:55 p.m. Tuesday.
After arriving, he said, deputies discovered the body of a 2-year-old boy. The child’s mother Adrienne McDevitt was taken to a local hospital.
“We are still of course awaiting the results in the coming days of an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, but based upon our investigation, we have charged Adrienne McDevitt with murder, and she has a $500,000 bond,” Calhoun said.
McDevitt is currently in custody at a local medical facility, Calhoun said, and will be booked into Lauderdale County Detention Center when she is released from care.
Investigators are still working to understand what took place, Calhoun said, but initial evidence leads them to believe the boy was drowned. The 911 call, which reported a disturbance, seems to have been in relation to a domestic dispute, he said, but the people involved had separated by the time deputies arrived.
Calhoun said there are still unanswered questions about the incident and the department is working diligently to find answers and understand what took place.
“This is certainly a tragic event for this family and for our community, and I would ask the citizens of our community who are faithful, praying people, to pray for this family and for our department,” he said. “It is a difficult job for these men and women to do, but they have done that job professionally, and we will treat this case like we do other case where it will be thoroughly investigated and then present it to a grand jury for their consideration when that is appropriate.”