The drowning occurred after Devoni Miller, 24, of Cromwell, crashed her vehicle on Sept. 11, first in Cromwell near Main Street and Shadow Lane, and later on nearby Route 9, state police said. Cromwell police also charged Miller with evading the first crash.
Miller’s vehicle was found unoccupied on Route 9 after the second crash, police said. State police said previously that Miller and her daughter got out of the vehicle and walked down an embankment to the Connecticut River. About two hours later, after police were called to the second crash, Devoni Miller was found walking alone along Route 9, police said.
The child, identified as Deroyal Miller, was found in a rocky section of the Connecticut River, police said.
She was pronounced dead at 9:23 p.m. that night at an area hospital.
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She was held on $1 million bond and is scheduled to be arraigned in state Superior Court in Middletown on Friday, police said.
Police: Cromwell mom charged with murder of 2-year-old daughter, who was found in river after crash
An arrest warrant details the events leading up to the child's death. Investigators said the mother was intentionally speeding right before the crash, and took steps to convince the driver she crashed into not to notify police of the crash.
The mother, Devoni Miller, of Cromwell, hung up the phone when the driver dialed 911, saying, "You can't call 911, I can't go back there, they are going to take me back there," the warrant states.
After the crash, Miller was allegedly only wearing undergarments and appeared to be calm and uninjured, according to police. When asked where her clothes were, she told officers, "I had to get rid of it." According to the warrant, the mother told authorities that her toddler was floating in the river, saying the two were swimming.
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She has a Dec. 22 court date. The investigation remains ongoing.
Cromwell mother charged with drowning her child in the Connecticut River: police
I have found some confusion in the articles as to whether DeRoyal was a boy or girl. Seems from some of the behaviors witnessed by friends, family and LE, she may have been suffering some sort of mental health crisis in recent months. RIP little one.
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