MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The father of a toddler who died after she was left her in the bathtub for more than ten minutes said he supports a 25-year prison sentence for the mother but is still struggling with life after the incident.
In a victim impact statement, Matthew Carriker said, "I'm learning how to live again without the most important people in my life. With a new life that needs protecting and with a life that I failed to protect."
Bethanie Carriker sobbed softly as she pleaded guilty to leaving her two daughters alone in a bathtub in mid-May. Her 15-month-old, Calliope, drowned. Her infant, Penelope, spent two weeks in intensive care at East Tennessee Children's Hospital.
Bethanie Carriker was sentenced to 25 years in prison on two counts of aggravated child neglect Monday morning in a Blount County Court.
Matthew Carriker said he supports the plea agreement, which was worked out by the Blount County District Attorney, but said, "it will never be enough. Calliope will never come back."
Matthew Carriker recounted the two weeks he spent at the hospital mourning his toddler as doctors worked to save his infant daughter.
"I held Calliope’s lifeless body there. I begged her to wake up. I sat on the floor and I rocked her. And I told her I was sorry for not being there when I needed her most," he said.
He said he is starting an anti-domestic violence non-profit in his daughter's name.
"Calliope would've protected her sister if she could have. She would've protected every child if she could have. And in her death, she will," he said.
Details of the drowning
According to a search warrant, the Carrikers had a domestic argument on the morning of May 7, and law enforcement was called.
Carriker's husband, Matthew, left for a cool-down period.
Later, Bethanie Carriker sent "multiple" messages and communications to him including a photo of one of the children to get him to come back home a few hours before the children were found unresponsive, according to the warrant.
Investigators want to use evidence on Bethanie Carriker's cell phone, but her public defender has asked the state to preserve all data from her cellphone. The search warrant addresses access to Carriker's phone.
Carriker's husband was concerned May 7 about Bethanie Carriker "potentially causing harm to (the children)..." the warrant states.
When authorities arrived at the Carriker home later that day, they found her giving the children CPR, according to the Blount County Sheriff's Office. She said she'd found them unresponsive in the water after leaving them for some 10 minutes.
"Evidence observed at the scene ... seemed inconsistent with the story given by Bethanie Carriker," the warrant states. "This included the location of the baby baths as well as baby bottles."
A notation on the return of the warrant dated May 13 states the search warrant was "served but not executed. New search warrant to follow. Nothing taken."