A heartbreaking tragedy has shaken the Chevy Chase community near Washington, D.C. A Maryland mother, Mackenzie R. Colgan, a 37-year-old licensed clinical counselor, is now behind bars after police say she drowned her 3-month-old daughter in their home on Summit Avenue.
The Montgomery County Police say the shocking incident happened around midday on Sunday. They got a 911 call from Colgan herself, who admitted to drowning her baby in the bathtub. First responders rushed to the scene, desperately trying to save the infant’s life, but sadly, doctors at the hospital pronounced her dead.
According to court documents, Colgan took her baby upstairs around 11:40 a.m., telling her family she was going to give the little girl a bath. About 20 minutes later, she came downstairs and told her husband that their daughter was gone. Panicked, the baby’s father ran upstairs to try CPR while urging Colgan to call for help.
Police brought Colgan in for questioning, and during the interview, she allegedly revealed her horrifying intentions. She told detectives that she woke up that morning planning to “end everything,” including the lives of her two children, her husband, and herself.
Colgan explained that she filled a baby bath with water and placed it inside a larger tub. She then turned the baby away from her and held her head under the water until the infant stopped breathing. The court documents say that after this, Colgan went to a bedroom intending to jump out of a window, but she changed her mind. Instead, she went downstairs and told her husband what she had done.
Colgan has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held in Montgomery County Jail. Authorities have also ordered a mental health evaluation for her ahead of her first court appearance.
The loss of this baby has left the community in shock and mourning. Colgan’s profession as a licensed clinical counselor, someone trained to help others through their struggles, adds another layer of disbelief to this tragedy. For now, the focus remains on seeking justice and understanding what led to this devastating outcome.
