Police: Arizona mom accused of killing baby searched ways to do it

PHOENIX — A 19-year-old woman accused of drowning her month-old son in a bathtub did more than 100 online searches for ways to kill an infant, police in a Phoenix suburb said Thursday.

Jenna Folwell put her son’s body in two blankets in a duffel bag in their apartment before calling police from a park Wednesday to report that a male stranger had abducted the infant after threatening to kill her, Chandler police said.

When investigating officers found the dead child in the apartment, Folwell said she’d found the infant face down in the bathtub after she passed out or fainted, police said in a probable-cause statement.

Police obtained a search warrant for Folwell’s phone.

“The search history started with ‘ways to die instantly’ and ended with ‘missing babies cases,’” the statement said. “Other searched items included how long it takes babies to drown, five types of parents who kill, reasons parents kill their babies and sudden infant death syndrome.

“There were over 100 different searches on these types of topics,” the statement added.

Confronted about the searches, Folwell acknowledged doing them and “getting in the bathtub with her son and then letting him go,” the statement said. “Jenna said she settled on this way because she did not want to hear her son cry.”

Folwell remained jailed on suspicion of first-degree murder after making an initial court appearance Thursday. A judge set bail at $1 million.

Court records don’t list a defense attorney who could comment on the allegations.

The statement says Folwell told investigators she regretted her decision after her son was in the tub for about a minute and attempted CPR before putting his body in the duffel bag and going to the park.

Police spokesman Detective Seth Tyler did not immediately respond to an email asking about a possible motive.