ROLLA, Mo. – A Missouri father is accused of negligent behavior in the drowning death of his two-year-old son.
According to the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department’s probable cause statement, the drowning happened on the afternoon of Oct. 16, 2022, at a home on Jana Lane in St. James, located approximately 90 miles west of St. Louis.
A two-year-old boy had climbed into a backyard swimming pool and was unresponsive. The boy was airlifted to Children’s Hospital in St. Louis. He died on July 10, 2024, due to complications from the ordeal.
The St. James Police Department requested the sheriff’s department assume control of the investigation.
During an interview in the immediate aftermath, a female at the home told detectives she last saw the boy in the home and that the child’s father, Carl E. Swanson, was in his own bedroom. She thought the child’s two older siblings, who were nine and 12 years old at the time, were watching him. The female’s age is unknown.
Thanks for signing up!
Watch for us in your inbox.
Subscribe Now
At some point prior to the drowning, investigators allege Swanson convinced the female’s biological mother that he’d adopted the female through the use of false documentation, and that the mother no longer had custody.
While being questioned, Swanson said he stepped out of his bedroom and asked where his son was. When no one knew the child’s whereabouts, the family searched inside and outside the home. Swanson found the boy floating in the pool, which had not yet been drained, and yelled for one of the other children to call 911.
On Sept. 15, 2025, the county sheriff’s department received new information that prompted them to reopen the investigation. Someone contacted the sheriff’s department and reported a year-old conversation with the aforementioned female.
During that conversation, the female said she had to get something off her chest. The female allegedly said she’d had sex with Swanson on the afternoon when the child drowned and that she felt responsible for the boy’s death.
Investigators interviewed the female, who recounted the same story. She said she had sex with Swanson in his bedroom for approximately five to 10 minutes, and that the two-year-old was left unattended for approximately 30 minutes.
The female said she got dressed to go to work while Swanson put on a pair of shorts and a shirt and then sat down on the couch to play video games. At some point, Swanson asked about his son’s whereabouts.
SLMPD announces death of 2 officers
Sometime after the incident, the female told investigators that Swanson was angry with her and the other children for not watching the two-year-old.
Investigators spoke with Swanson after interviewing the female. They claim Swanson admitted he should have been watching the boy but said it wasn’t unusual for him to leave the child in the care of the other kids.
The Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Swanson with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child – serious physical injury. According to the probable cause statement, Swanson was arrested on charges of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, abuse or neglect of a child – resulting in death, and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child – child death.
Swanson was released on Sept. 16 after a $100,000 bond was posted on his behalf. He is due back in court on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
