Justin Kidwell has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the tragic drowning of an eight-month-old infant in May 2023. The sentencing took place on Thursday, February 27, 2025, following his guilty plea to manslaughter.
According to court documents, Kidwell was the only adult present at the home and was solely responsible for the infant’s care at the time of the incident.
Details of the Incident
The arrest affidavit states that Kidwell admitted to placing the eight-month-old in the bathtub around 11 p.m. and then leaving her unattended while he went to retrieve his Bluetooth headset to talk to a friend on Discord.
While speaking to officers, Kidwell admitted that the child had been left alone in the tub for anywhere between 30 seconds and several minutes.
- He left the bathroom with the water running.
- He walked to the opposite side of the residence to grab his headset.
- He was planning to talk to a friend while playing Apex Legends, an online multiplayer video game.
911 Call and Discovery of the Infant
At approximately 11:22 p.m., Kidwell’s friend on Discord made the 911 emergency call after Kidwell discovered the infant face down in the bathtub with the water running on full blast.
By the time first responders arrived, it was too late to save the child.
Investigation and Sentencing
Through further investigation, authorities confirmed that Kidwell had been playing video games while talking on Discord when the drowning occurred.
After pleading guilty to manslaughter, Kidwell was sentenced to 18 years in prison. However, he received 362 days of jail credit for time already served.