Travionna C. Johnson, 23, was arrested and charged with manslaughter and abandonment after her 8-year-old daughter was found dead in an overflowing bathtub in Spokane on Sept. 20. Johnson allegedly told police she left the nonverbal child home alone while going to work.
A downstairs resident reported a water leak. Firefighters entered the apartment through a window and found the girl unresponsive in the tub, according to court records cited by local outlets. Johnson allegedly told police she had texted her sister asking her to care for the girl, who had epilepsy, but knew the message had not gone through because she had no cell service.
Court records list first-degree and second-degree manslaughter and first-degree abandonment of a dependent person. It was not immediately clear whether Johnson had entered pleas; her bond was set at $500,000. Her family said she usually arranged care in advance. Her mother said Johnson loved her daughter and would never harm her; the family also said Johnson struggles with depression and has battled suicidal thoughts.
