Foster Mother Faces Murder Charge After Toddler Drowns in Unattended Bathtub
A Philadelphia foster mother has been charged with murder nearly nine months after a 20-month-old boy drowned in her bathtub, in a case that has ignited fury from the child's biological family and raised serious questions about foster care oversight.
Apalosnia Watson, 39, is facing charges of third-degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child following the death of Sy'vir Hill. The charges relate to an alleged incident on April 15 last year at Watson's home on the 900 block of East Schiller Street in the city's Harrowgate neighbourhood.
Details of the Tragic Incident
According to a probable cause affidavit, Watson was caring for Sy'vir and two other young children, aged 4 and 2, when she left them unattended in the bath. She reportedly went downstairs to heat up food in the microwave. On her way to the kitchen, she told police she heard "flipping in the water." When she returned, Sy'vir was found facedown in the tub.
Watson immediately attempted CPR and called emergency services. Paramedics arrived swiftly and performed life-saving measures, but tragically, Sy'vir was pronounced dead at the scene. A responding officer described Watson as visibly distraught, screaming and crying, and repeatedly stating, "I don't want to go to jail."
Lengthy Investigation and Family Outrage
Despite the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office conducting a postmortem exam the day after the drowning, the child's cause and manner of death remained pending for a full nine months. This delay has been labelled unacceptable by Sy'vir's biological mother, Sharee Collins, and her legal representative.
A.J. Thomson, the attorney representing Collins in a wrongful-death lawsuit, expressed profound frustration. "If there's a case that we should prioritise in our society, it's the death of a 1-year-old child. I felt that it was not being prioritised," Thomson stated.
Collins had previously entrusted her son to the foster care system, telling CBS News Philadelphia, "He didn't deserve that, he didn't. I wouldn't wish it on nobody else." Her grief is compounded by the circumstances surrounding her son's placement.
Overcrowded Home and Legal Action
At the time of the tragedy, police reports indicate several other children were living in the home. This included the two other children in the bath, Hill's 4-month-old sister, and a 17-year-old.
In October, Collins filed a civil lawsuit against Tabor Children's Services and Northeast Treatment Centers. The suit accuses them of placing her son in an overcrowded home. Thomson revealed that documents showed Watson had four foster children under the age of five, in addition to other child relatives in the home, and was "at her max."
Thomson also sharply criticised Watson's decision to leave the children alone, asking, "What food was that important that you would leave three kids that age in the tub by themselves?"
System Response and Judicial Intervention
The Philadelphia Department of Human Services described Sy'vir's death as a tragic loss, confirming he had been receiving foster care services through Tabor and case management through Northeast Treatment Community Care.
The protracted investigation prompted Thomson to file a second lawsuit in November, asking a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge to compel the medical examiner to issue a ruling. A spokesperson for the medical examiner's office defended the process, stating investigations vary in length and that, "Above all, our priority is to conduct thorough and accurate investigations."
The judge subsequently ordered the medical examiner to certify the cause and manner of death within 10 days. On December 4, the office ruled the cause of death was drowning and the manner of death was homicide.
Arrest and Defence
Watson was arrested on January 13. Her attorney, S. Philip Steinberg, told CBS News Philadelphia that his client "is devastated by the tragic, accidental death of Sy'vir Hill. Nonetheless, she has not committed a crime."
Watson is scheduled to appear in court on March 4 to face the charges. The case continues to highlight profound concerns about child safety within the foster care system and the legal processes following such devastating incidents.
