A Florida mom was shocked to find her dead son and a note detailing the terrible accident written by his babysitter. The mother, who has not been identified, reportedly received a call from her son Jameson Nance’s babysitter, Joshua Manns, on June 11. He broke the news of her son, death by drowning. The devastated mom immediately rushed to her West Melbourne apartment complex home to find her 3-year-old dead in the tub but Manns was nowhere to be seen.
What’s more, the 25-year-old babysitter did not even call 911 for assistance before he left the scene, according to the Daily Beast. He only left her a note that explained how Jameson suffered a seizure while in the tub and ended up drowning in the water. He also claimed in essence that “no one would believe him and he did not want to spend the rest of his life in prison for something he did not do.”
However, following an autopsy a medical examiner revealed that the toddler did not drown but had suffered battered child syndrome. The child also had weeks-old injuries, including stab wounds to the head, a broken rib, and brain swelling. In the past two years, the Department of Children and Family Services had questioned how the boy had broken his leg twice and endured burns on his arms.
Even before the preschooler’s death, the department had visited Jameson’s daycare to investigate his “suspicious” injuries. Unfortunately, they did not get the information in time to save the toddler’s life. That being said, when the autopsy reports were revealed, police officers soon began looking for Manns, who lived in the same apartment complex as Jameson and his mom.
After two weeks of evading the police, Manns was finally caught and arrested on June 28, in Georgia. He was en route to West Virginia, his birthplace when police apprehended him. According to Daily Mail, he fled his home in Grand Oaks at the Lake Apartment shortly after informing Jameson’s mother about her son’s death.
During his arraignment on Friday, he remained silent as he appeared before a judge, reports local station WESH. He had nothing to say for himself or the incident on June 11 that resulted in the death of Jameson. Manns was charged with first-degree murder and abuse and neglect charges. He is currently being treated as a fugitive and held without a bond.
Cover image source: Facebook | West Melbourne Police Department
