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Mother charged with murder after car plunges into river, killing 5-year-old daughter

Mother charged with murder after car plunges into river, killing 5-year-old daughter
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Mother charged with murder after car plunges into river, killing 5-year-old daughter
A Missouri woman has been charged with first-degree murder after a car plunged into the Kansas River and the body of her 5-year-old daughter was pulled from the water.Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson on Monday charged 26-year-old Scharron Renea Dingledine, of Columbia, in the death of her daughter. Dingledine is also charged with attempted first-degree murder stemming from critical injuries to her 1-year-old son, who remains hospitalized.Dingledine’s bond was set at $1 million after prosecutors said they believe she is a danger to herself and the public. Police say the children were in a vehicle that sank Friday afternoon in the river in downtown Lawrence. The toddler and the mother were rescued. The 5-year-old’s body was recovered from the river on Saturday.Dingledine and her two children were the only people in the car. She is currently being held at the Douglas County Jail.“We are not calling the individual a ‘murderer,’” Capt. Trent McKinley told the Kansas City Star. “We are merely relating the charges she has been arrested on.”A GoFundMe account has been created for a funeral for 5-year-old Amiyah Bradley. Her father, Clinton Bradley, told KCTV that his daughter would have started school at Blue Ridge Elementary in Columbia in the fall."That smile. That girl's smile is precious," he said. "She was the sweetest little girl. All she had was love and compassion in her heart." Bradley says he and Amiyah's mother are separated but have kept in touch and that he always thought Dingledine was a good mother. He does not know what led her to driving into the Kansas River. "I can't wrap my head around what happened. I can't wrap my head around why Scharron did that," Bradley said. "I really hope that she realizes what she did and I hope that she hurts as bad as we hurt."

A Missouri woman has been charged with first-degree murder after a car plunged into the Kansas River and the body of her 5-year-old daughter was pulled from the water.

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson on Monday charged 26-year-old Scharron Renea Dingledine, of Columbia, in the death of her daughter. Dingledine is also charged with attempted first-degree murder stemming from critical injuries to her 1-year-old son, who remains hospitalized.

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Dingledine’s bond was set at $1 million after prosecutors said they believe she is a danger to herself and the public.

Police say the children were in a vehicle that sank Friday afternoon in the river in downtown Lawrence. The toddler and the mother were rescued. The 5-year-old’s body was recovered from the river on Saturday.

Dingledine and her two children were the only people in the car. She is currently being held at the Douglas County Jail.

“We are not calling the individual a ‘murderer,’” Capt. Trent McKinley told the Kansas City Star. “We are merely relating the charges she has been arrested on.”

A GoFundMe account has been created for a funeral for 5-year-old Amiyah Bradley.

Her father, Clinton Bradley, told KCTV that his daughter would have started school at Blue Ridge Elementary in Columbia in the fall.

"That smile. That girl's smile is precious," he said. "She was the sweetest little girl. All she had was love and compassion in her heart."

Bradley says he and Amiyah's mother are separated but have kept in touch and that he always thought Dingledine was a good mother.

He does not know what led her to driving into the Kansas River.

"I can't wrap my head around what happened. I can't wrap my head around why Scharron did that," Bradley said. "I really hope that she realizes what she did and I hope that she hurts as bad as we hurt."