A woman in Florida who was arrested after being accused of drowning her own 7-month-old daughter in a bathtub has been deemed “not well” during the first court hearing in her case, which took place on Thursday, January 15.
Tierra Scott-Franklin has been officially charged with premeditated murder. A judge would not grant her bond during that initial hearing, according to KPLC TV.
Officers with the Gainesville Police Department responded to Sweetwater Square Apartments on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 14, after they received a report about a woman who allegedly drowned her baby, according to the outlet.
Police found the unnamed victim unresponsive in a bathtub, and she was transported to UF Health Shands Pediatrics Hospital. However, the baby did not survive the drowning.
During the police’s visit to the home, a neighbor, for reasons not specified, used pepper spray, leading to another person in the apartment unit being taken to the hospital for treatment, according to WCJB.
Meanwhile, Scott-Franklin, 23, was arrested at the scene and she was taken to the Alachua County Jail, where she remains in custody.
During Thursday’s hearing, Scott-Franklin’s mental health was called into question. Activists spoke to the judge on her behalf, and they called for compassion as the case goes to trial.
“She did what she did, but we stand behind her,” said activist Saudia Bradley. “She is loved. She is valued. She is cared for. We’re asking that you please do what you do to help her to get the help she needs.”
Meanwhile, fellow activist Chanae Jackson said that others had tried reaching out to authorities about her condition.
“Two others have reached out,” said Jackson. “She’s not well. She let people know she was not well and asked them to take the baby.”
The topic was also brought up during a city commission meeting on January 15, where City Commissioner Desmond Duncan-Walker said that the case highlighted even bigger issues than one might expect.
“You don’t do that if you’re healthy. Mental health,” Duncan-Walker said, per KPLC TV. “So, Mr. Mayor, I concur with you in finding ways that we can work with our colleagues across the street, that we can work with other institutions in this community to center mental health and making it more accessible to the people in this community.”
The recent arrest is not the first time Scott-Franklin has found herself in trouble with the law.
She was previously arrested in August 2025 for allegedly battering a 67-year-old victim, according to the outlet. She is currently facing charges of battery of a person 65 years or older and violation of probation in that case, as well as the premeditated murder charge related to her daughter’s death.
The judge assigned to the case said that Scott-Franklin will remain in custody without bond, and she will also have no unsupervised contact with any minors. Additionally, it was revealed that she is currently under constant supervision inside the jail’s infirmary.
It is not currently clear if Scott-Franklin has entered a plea or retained legal representation.
The Gainesville Police Department did not immediately respond to Luxury Handbag Shopping’s request for comment.
