WEST PLAINS, Mo. — A man accused of leaving an infant unattended in a bathtub has entered a guilty plea.

According to online court documents, Levi M. Coffel pleaded guilty under a plea agreement to a reduced charge of second-degree involuntary manslaughter. He is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 23.

A probable cause statement from the West Plains Police Department (WPPD) said officers responded to a home where a six-month-old girl was found not breathing in 2023. Documents say Coffel met officers at the door and told them he'd performed life-saving measures on the child, but was unsuccessful.

Coffel told police he thought the baby had been unattended in the bathtub for "a few minutes" when he returned and found her submerged.

Police say Coffel smelled of alcohol when he was taken into custody and agreed to provide a breath sample, which showed Coffel's blood alcohol content (BAC) at 0.191.

News Source : https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/west-plains-man-pleads-guilty-in-infant-bathtub-drowning/