A married couple from Tennessee is facing murder charges for allegedly making their daughter drink a large amount of water and grape soda; which lead to her death.
CNN reports that five-year-old Alexa Linboom had to drink the excessive amount of fluids as a punishment for taking her stepmother’s grape soda without permission.
Linboom drank more than two liters of fluids and endured other forms of punishment. Randall Lee Vaughn, 41, and his wife Mary Lavonne Vaughn, 58, punished Linboom for over one to two hours.
WJHL.com added that Linboom’s autopsy proved her death was a result of “acute fluid/water intoxication.” Once Linboom was done consuming all the fluids she was unresponsive and blue in the face.
The five-year-old child suffered from severe brain damage; she was later pronounced brain dead and was taken off life support.
New York Daily News reports that the married couple are both facing charges of first-degree murder along with aggravated child abuse and neglect. Their trail is set to begin in October, and it will rest upon the jury if the couple will face the death penalty.