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Sarah Jamison (Bixby Police Department).
In a tragic incident, an Oklahoma mother has been accused of causing the death of her 5-month-old son after allegedly falling asleep in a drunken state and inadvertently smothering him. Authorities have charged Sarah Jamison, 31, with child neglect following the heartbreaking event that took place on October 18, according to records from the Tulsa County District Court reviewed by Law&Crime.
Jamison is set to appear for her arraignment this Wednesday. The sequence of events leading to the incident involves Jamison consuming a six-pack of Voodoo Ranger’s Juice Force beer, along with a shot of rum, the night before the tragedy, as noted by the authorities.
Later that evening, around 10 p.m., the child’s father returned home from work. He joined Jamison on the couch for a drink before she eventually took their baby to bed. This information is detailed in a probable cause affidavit, which was obtained by Tulsa’s CBS affiliate, KOTV.
The last thing Jamison remembered the night before was drinking a six-pack of beer — Voodoo Ranger”s Juice Force to be exact — as well as taking a shot of rum, authorities say.
That same night, the child’s father returned home from work at about 10 p.m., and he drank with Jamison on their couch until she brought the baby with her to bed, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Tulsa-based CBS affiliate KOTV.
The mother had been experiencing postpartum depression, she later told investigators. And, while she said she did not drink during her pregnancy, she did start about six weeks after birth, police say. Her disorder with her baby boy was worse than with her previous children, she allegedly said.
At some point, the father is said to have gone to bed and noticed the baby was not breathing under Jamison’s shoulder. The father then proceeded to try CPR and call 911.
Officers arrived at about 5:45 a.m. to a startling sight, according to the affidavit. The baby was gray and not breathing, and Jamison only woke after officers shined a flashlight on her, yelled, and shook her bed for approximately two minutes.
The smell of alcohol was present in the air, the affidavit alleges.
The mother reportedly slurred her speech as she spoke and said: “If my kid is dead, I might as well be too.” Then Jamison allegedly added: “I said I needed help, I tried to get help.”
About three hours later, when the defendant’s blood was drawn by law enforcement, her blood alcohol level was 0.309, police say.
Bixby is a city in eastern Oklahoma, located about 22 miles south of Tulsa and 113 miles east of Oklahoma City.