KENT, Wash. — Kent police have confirmed to KIRO 7 that a 24-year-old woman is under investigation for homicide and reckless care after her infant son died.
Police say they were called to a home on Woodford Avenue North on Tuesday, Dec. 12, where they found Claire Stilwil's two-and-a-half-month-old baby unresponsive. Medics gave the boy CPR, but were not successful.
Police say the mother placed the child on his stomach on top of a sleeping bag and left him unattended for at least 20 minutes while she watched television in another room.
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When the mother returned, she found the child unresponsive and not breathing. Police also say the infant was born six-weeks premature and spent his first month in the hospital.
Friends and neighbors of the mom say she was incredibly happy when the baby boy was finally able to come home, and call her a hard-working and good mother.
“I know accidents happen, and I just know it definitely wasn’t intentional. My heart tells me that. Because I know how she interacts with her children, and how she is toward her children. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her daughter or her son,” Grantham said.
“She seemed like a very good mother. I can't imagine what she's going through right now. So I'm really sorry for her and I hope they can draw a conclusion that it was an accident,” said neighbor Liz Wiedel.
The infant's grandfather tells KIRO7 the family cannot express how much pain they're going through because of the incident. He's set up a GoFundMe to create a memorial for "Baby James." Click here to view.
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