CHANDLER, Ariz. — A 19-year-old Arizona woman admitted she drowned her infant son in a bathtub after conducting Google searches about infanticide, the Arizona Republic reported.
Jenna M. Folwell was arrested and booked into a Maricopa County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, the Republic reported. She was being held with bond set at $1 million, according to court records.
Chandler police found the body of 4-week-old Rainer Canku inside Folwell's apartment at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, several hours after she reported the boy had been abducted at a park, according to the Chandler Police Department.
The infant was found dead inside a black duffel bag, the Republic reported. Folwell told police she drowned the boy in a bathtub and then tried to revive him, according to court records, which included a probable-cause statement from Chandler police.
Police obtained a search warrant to search Folwell's cellphone, the Republic reported. Investigators said they found Google searches in the history of her web browser that referenced the length of time it took babies to drown and reasons parents kill their babies, the newspaper report.
In the probable-cause statement, police said Folwell admitted to bringing the infant into the tub with her and letting go of him. She said she settled on drowning her son so she wouldn't have to hear him cry, according to the court record.
The infant's father told KPHO that he was supposed to watch his son Wednesday night.
“She (Folwell) took away the best thing in my life. There's nothing that can ever replace him, and this is the last thing I have of his memories,” Eric Canku, 19, told the television station as he held one of the baby’s onesies. “I just don't know what kind of person would do that to an innocent child."
Canku talked to a group of reporters Thursday afternoon. He said he met with Folwell and Rainer the day before the boy's death and saw no warning signs.
"She seemed perfectly fine, she was smiling," Canku said. "Little did I know that would be one of the last times I ever got to hold him."
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/GY6DVW2OAJHUTCOPSLVEB7JSQA.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/J65LOSFKBFGDFEQELLKM63TMUI.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/FVCQ7OG4GZHWHILLPHGAQOJUIQ.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/2HSLXH2XLJFE3BW67VQSEKOHKE.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/JFTBH5OLBFGEDFFPVVV2V46X5Q.jpeg)