TALLAHASSEE, FL – A 24-year-old mother is facing murder charges following the death of her 2-year-old son, whom police allege died as a result of intentional abuse and subsequent drowning earlier this year.

Raymona Ford was taken into custody Wednesday after investigators concluded a several-month inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her child’s death in May. She is charged with willful and premeditated murder as well as aggravated battery involving cruelty toward a child, according to records from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities were first called to the Magnolia Terrace Apartments in the Myers Park area of Tallahassee on May 9, responding to a report that a toddler had drowned in a bathtub. Emergency responders performed life-saving measures before transporting the child to a hospital, where doctors listed him in critical condition. He died four days later despite medical intervention.

As the investigation unfolded, law enforcement officials began to suspect circumstances beyond an accidental drowning. Findings from the Medical Examiner’s Office, combined with interviews and forensic evidence, led detectives to believe the boy had suffered repeated physical abuse prior to his death.

According to police statements, Ford admitted to leaving her son unattended in the bathtub for several minutes, allegedly while she checked on one of her other children. She told officers she had been bathing the child after a meal, using an upper faucet because the lower tap was broken. Days later, Ford re-enacted the scenario for investigators, demonstrating her version of events with a doll during a video-recorded walkthrough.

Officers noted inconsistencies in Ford’s account, particularly regarding the position in which her son was found and the water level in the tub. Police documents indicate that when Ford reported discovering her son unresponsive, the details she described did not align with typical drowning incidents, raising further suspicions.

An autopsy ultimately revealed the child had suffered acute injuries to the head and neck. Medical officials said those injuries likely triggered seizures, which, compounded by submersion in water, proved fatal. Investigators also discovered a history of prior endangerment; the boy had experienced another bathtub-related incident in 2023 at just 11 months old.

During the inquiry, authorities report that Ford confessed to striking her son several times out of anger, particularly when she was frustrated by his behavior or messiness. These admissions came as detectives pressed her to explain the child’s injuries before the drowning occurred.

Additional evidence included claims from family members. According to police, Ford reportedly asked the boy’s father to watch their son on the day of the incident so she could celebrate her birthday, but he declined. This, police say, supports allegations that Ford may have been upset at the time of the child’s injuries.

Online, a memorial fundraiser organized by someone identified as Raymona Ford used the child’s name and described him as affectionate and cheerful. The GoFundMe, which has since been deactivated, stated that the boy suffered irreversible brain damage and recounted the mother’s anguish during his final days.

Ford made a court appearance Thursday, where bond was denied. She remains in the Leon County Detention Center as the case proceeds.