Father arrested after drowning death of one-year-old son

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Pinellas County deputies say a father is to blame in the death of his 13-month-old son.

He's accused of leaving his baby alone in a bathtub while it was filling up.

The sheriff says it happened September 28 at a home on 69th Street N in Clearwater.

Investigators say Alan Morris, 34, put his son, Liam face up, without the support of a special chair or baby bathing device, in the bottom of the tub and turned on the water.  

Morris told investigators he was in the bedroom across the hall with his wife when he started to hear the water overflow.

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When he returned, he found Liam floating, face up, with the water from the spigot pouring into the baby's open mouth.

Morris allegedly pulled Liam out of the water and called 911. Liam’s mother, Madelynne performed CPR until Largo Fire Rescue responded. Liam was taken to Largo Medical Center but did not survive.

The sheriff says it would have taken anywhere from 8 to 23 minutes for the tub to completely fill, based on the water pressure.

"When you leave a 1-year-old in a bathtub with the water running, the water's beating down on the kid's face, for somewhere between eight and 23 minutes, and it causes the kid's death, that's beyond careless. That's criminal," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said. 

Detectives also found medications such as Suboxone and methadone, as well as syringes inside the home.

The sheriff says there is a history of domestic violence at that address.

 

Alan Morris is charged with aggravated manslaughter. Detectives say he was not cooperative with their investigation.