Police in Maryland say a 37-year-old mother killed her 3-month-old daughter and called 911 to confess to the crime. Mackenzie Rose Colgan, from the town of Chevy Chase, reportedly drowned the baby around noon December 8, 2024. Colgan allegedly told her husband she was taking the infant upstairs for a bath and a short time later said the baby was dead.
According to a news release from the Montgomery County Department of Police, law enforcement arrived on the scene in the 7300 block of Summit Avenue and arrested Colgan. She faces murder charges.
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Colgan reportedly planned the infant's death.
According to court documents obtained by Fox 5 DC, Colgan told investigators she woke up on Sunday morning planning to “end everything.” In addition to drowning her baby, Colgan allegedly wanted to kill herself and the rest of her family that day, which included another child and her husband. She planned to jump out a second-story window after killing the infant but changed her mind. Instead, Colgan reportedly walked downstairs and told her husband, John Volpe, the baby was dead.
Volpe tried to revive the baby.
The infant’s father began CPR while Colgan called 911 for help, Fox 5 DC reported. Police said Colgan told the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center she had drowned the infant while bathing her. Emergency responders took the infant to a local hospital for additional life-saving measures. Sadly, staff pronounced her dead a short time later.
Colgan reportedly worked in the mental health field.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Colgan worked as a behavioral health therapist. She stated in her profile that she worked with juveniles.
“I’m a counseling intern for children with autism. I run small and large group as well as provide individual counseling as outlined by my students’ IEP,” her profile reads. “I also consult weekly with the education team to generalize skills being taught in group and individual counseling to the classroom.”
Police visited the home on two other occasions.
The Washington Post reported that Montgomery police had visited the home twice in the past five months. On July 20, a client reportedly contacted police to check on Colgan, who was eight months pregnant at the time. She told officers at the time that she was fine.
On October 27, police and paramedics went to the home after Colgan reported her baby wasn’t breathing. When EMS arrived, the baby was reportedly fine, and medics dismissed the police.
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The mother now faces murder charges.
Detectives from the Major Crimes Division arrested Colgan on the scene, according to a news release from police. She faces a first-degree murder charge. The infant’s cause of death is pending autopsy. A judge postponed Colgan’s bond hearing until December 15 so the mother could undergo a mental health evaluation, according to NBC 4. The case remains under investigation.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
