A Gwinnett County couple has been charged with murder in connection with the death of their 10-week-old daughter.
Duluth Police Department spokesman Capt. Mark Hunter said Herbert “George” Landell, 26, and his wife, 25-year-old Lauren Fristed, were both arrested Wednesday afternoon, just over a month after bringing their “emaciated” daughter to Gwinnett Medical Center. The child, Nevaeh, was pronounced dead on arrival.
Arrest warrants obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution allege that the couple caused the child’s death by “diluting (her) breast milk with water, causing the victim to ingest too much water.”
“The ingestion of too much water caused the victim’s electrolyte and sodium levels to drop” drastically, the warrant continued, “and caused water intoxication that led to swelling in the victim’s brain.”
Police said an investigation led them to believe that the child was “not properly fed or clothed” and was “often presented in poor hygiene.” A search of the couple’s Pleasant Hill Road apartment reportedly revealed “unsanitary conditions.”
“It was also discovered that Nevaeh was never taken for medical examination or treatment due to the parents’ religious beliefs,” Hunter said.
Hunter said the couple was Christian.
Online records show Landell and Fristed were both booked into the Gwinnett County jail around 5 p.m. Wednesday. They are each charged with two counts of felony murder, two counts of cruelty to children and a single count of aggravated battery.
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