Chevy Chase Therapist Accused of First-Degree Murder for Drowning Baby Daughter
A Maryland mother has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly drowning her 3-month-old daughter in a bathtub at their Chevy Chase home, according to court documents.
Mackenzie R. Colgan, 37, called 911 on Sunday to report that she had killed her infant daughter. Montgomery County Police responded to the scene, but efforts to save the baby were unsuccessful. The child was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, the timeline of events on Sunday began around 11:40 a.m. Colgan reportedly took the baby from other family members, telling them she intended to bathe her upstairs. Approximately 20 minutes later, she returned to the first floor and informed the child’s father that the baby had died in the bathtub.
The father rushed upstairs to administer CPR while instructing Colgan to call 911.
During a subsequent interview with police, Colgan, a licensed clinical counselor, allegedly confessed that she had woken up that morning with a plan to “end everything,” including taking the lives of her children and husband.
Police stated that Colgan described holding her baby’s head under water until the child was dead. She initially intended to jump out of a window afterward but changed her mind. Instead, she told her husband what had occurred.
Colgan is now being held in Montgomery County Jail and has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation before her first court appearance.
Montgomery County District Attorney Lauren DeMarco called the case “extremely sad” in a statement to NBC 4.
Colgan’s attorney confirmed to NBC 4 that she had no prior criminal convictions. The investigation is ongoing.
