Panama City mother charged in the 2021 drowning death of her 5-month-old baby

PANAMA CITY — A Panama City woman was charged in the September 2021 drowning death of her infant Thursday.

According to a news release from the Panama City Police Department, Blanche V. Shelmon, 38, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.

The investigation began on Sept. 10, 2021, when officers with the PCPD responded to a call to a residence in regards to a non-responsive child.

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Through the course of their investigation, detectives with the department learned that Shelmon had allegedly smoked marijuana before putting her five-month-old child in the bathtub.

During that time, Shelmon received a phone call and became distracted for approximately 15 minutes. During the time Shelmon was on the phone, she neglected to provide supervision for the safety of the child and the infant subsequently drowned in the tub. The infant was pronounced deceased at an area hospital, the release states.

Investigators, through cooperation with the the State Attorney’s Office, were able to charge Shelmon on Thursday with aggravated manslaughter of a child by being under the influence of THC, which caused her to become inattentive. She was booked into the Bay County Jail.

The PCPD is asking anyone with information in the case to call the department at 850- 872-3100, or they can report tips anonymously via smartphone by downloading the “Panama City PD” Tip411 app from the iOS or Google Play stores.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City police charge mother with aggravated manslaughter of a child