Molly Krebs admits to involuntary manslaughter after giving son Benadryl for an allergic reaction and then drowning him in the bath while she took a 90-minute nap
- Molly Krebs, 28, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after allowing her son to drown in a bath after giving him Benadryl for an allergic reaction
- On December 1, 2022, Krebs gave Jayden, 3, Benadryl to treat his hives and then put him in the bath before he fell asleep.
- The mother will be sentenced on September 26 and faces a prison sentence of up to 11 years
An Ohio mother admitted to involuntary manslaughter for giving her three-year-old son Benadryl for an allergic reaction and then drowning him in the bathtub while she took a nap.
Molly Krebs, 28, discovered the body of her 3-year-old son Jayden in the bathtub of their Cincinnati-area home after taking a 90-minute nap on December 1, 2022.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 26, with Krebs facing up to 11 years behind bars under Ohio guidelines.
The mother initially pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.
However, on Wednesday she changed her plea in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas in exchange for dropping the child endangerment charge.
Molly Krebs, 28, has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after allowing her son to drown in a bath after giving him Benadryl for an allergic reaction
Jayden, 3, died after drowning in a bathtub at his Cincinnati home in December 2022
Krebs was allowed to attend her child’s funeral last year despite the accusations, a decision that sparked much anger at the time.
Cincinnati police officers were called to Krebs’ home on Ridgeway Avenue in Avondale around midnight on December 1.
Krebs explained that she was exhausted after a long day of working at a contracting and decorating company, according to a probable cause statement obtained by WCPO.
She prescribed Jayden Benadryl to treat his hives after a reaction to an unknown cause, the documents said.
Krebs said she then ran a bath, put her son in the tub and accidentally fell asleep after walking out of the bathroom.
When she woke up about 90 minutes later, she discovered the horror of her lifeless son partially in the bath and called the police.
Jayden was transported to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and was pronounced dead.
Krebs was subsequently taken into custody by the Cincinnati Police Department’s Homicide Unit.
Krebs’ bond was set at $750,000 and she appeared visibly distressed during her bond hearing in December 2022
Her lawyer Jeffrey Adams (pictured right) said ‘this seems completely coincidental’ and told the judge his client was ‘completely devastated’ by the loss of her son
Cincinnati police officers were called to Krebs’ home on Ridgeway Avenue in Avondale around midnight on December 1
Her bond was initially set at $750,000 and she appeared visibly distressed during her bond hearing in December 2022.
During the hearing, her attorney, Jeffrey Adams, said “this appears to be completely coincidental” and told the judge his client was “completely devastated” by the loss of her son.
According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, “one of the main side effects (of Benadryl) is sedation. This can make children very drowsy until they fall asleep.’
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 6 years of age should not receive Benadryl unless specifically prescribed by a doctor.