Creston baby drowned at the hands of her mother

April 29, 2016

ambulance 4A newborn baby who died in a bathtub shortly after birth on Saturday drowned at the hands of her mother, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Coroner’s Office. The mother also died on Saturday, and the cause of her death has been ruled severe blood loss.

Investigators have not stated whether they believe the mother murdered the baby. However, the county sheriff’s office stated in a press release that no criminal charges will be filed since both the mother and daughter are dead.

Early Saturday morning, Brandy Stanton, 37, was taking a bath at her Creston home when she began yelling for help. A relative then discovered Stanton and the baby she had just delivered in severe medical distress and called 911. Emergency personnel transported Stanton and her newborn to Twin Cities hospital in Templeton, where they were both pronounced dead.

Following the incident, the sheriff’s office stated deputies found no evidence of foul play.

This week, the coroner’s office conducted autopsies for both Stanton and the baby. Before ruling on the causes of death, coroner’s investigators factored in evidence from the scene, as well as interviews and autopsy results.

Investigators determined Stanton gave birth in a tub filled with water, and the baby took a breath or breaths above water before drowning. Investigators also said Stanton physically separated the umbilical cord from her body and stayed awake for a prolonged period after the birth.

The sheriff’s office says evidence suggests that Stanton’s family had not been aware of the pregnancy.


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I am really sorry for this family’s loss.


I am very troubled by this story, and by the Coroner’s statement.


How do they KNOW this mother killed her baby on purpose? The mother could have been in shock from delivering in a bathtub and didn’t have the cognition to get her baby out of the water. We don’t even know the gestational age of the baby. We assume she was full term but do not know.


I guess my concern is that mom and baby are dead. The family is left to grieve and make sense of this tragedy, and I would be VERY hesitant to call something a MURDER unless we know for sure. All that is said in this article was that the baby took a few watery breaths. That doesn’t mean mom held her down. It could just mean mom was too critically ill herself to save the baby.


So horrible. I just feel terrible for this family.


Only God knows the truth about this horrible event. The Lord comfort and give strength to all of the families involved.


” no criminal charges will be filed since both the mother and daughter are dead.”


Wow! Such wisdom and power of intellectual deduction exuding from the sheriff’s department!