An Illinois couple has been charged with second degree murder in the June drowning death of their 2-year-old child in Lake Peachtree.
Chezz A. McCann, 27, and Jamie C. Powell, 27, were charged with murder in the second degree. Both suspects were taken into custody by the Danville, Ill. Police Department and were extradited back to Georgia for prosecution, according to Peachtree City Police Department spokesman Mark Brown.
Brown said officers of the Peachtree City Police Department on June 5 at 7:06 p.m. responded to 121 Loblolly Circle in reference to a child drowning call.
Upon arrival, officers began CPR on a 2-year-old child that had been in Lake Peachtree for an unknown length of time. The child was transported by Peachtree City Fire Rescue to Piedmont Fayette Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased, Brown said.
Investigation determined that the child’s parents, both of whom were home at the time of the drowning, were unaware of the child’s whereabouts for an extended period of time. The child was discovered missing after the great-grandparents arrived home in the late evening and asked the parents about the child’s location, according to Brown.
Brown said the investigation determined that the parents of the child were criminally negligent in their failure to care for the child. Drugs and alcohol are believed to be a contributing factor.
Brown said the couple was living at the Loblolly Circle address when the incident occurred. They relocated to Illinois after the incident.
