Phelps County man charged in child’s death
Matthew Sanders
Editor’s note: Language in this article have been clarified.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A St. James man was charged Tuesday with child endangerment in a 2022 incident in a backyard swimming pool.
The Phelps County prosecutor charged Carl E. Swanson on Tuesday with a single count of child endangerment resulting in serious injuries, a Class B felony. An arrest warrant had not been posted in online court records on Tuesday morning.
The near-drowning of the 2-year-old boy took place Oct. 16, 2022, at 55 Jana Lane in St. James, according to a probable cause statement. Several people inside the home reportedly told investigators that they thought the child was with someone else.
Swanson found the boy in the swimming pool, and he was unresponsive, the statement says. He was flown to a St. Louis hospital and later died of complications on July 10, 2024.
The investigation was reopened on Monday after a woman who was in the house the day of the drowning told police that she and Swanson were in a bedroom having sex when the child died, according to a probable cause statement. Swanson got dressed and played video games afterward, the witness allegedly told investigators.
About 30 minutes passed between when the boy was last seen and when he was found in the swimming pool, the statement claims.
No hearings have been set.