Katy Mother Charged in Connection to Deaths of Two Young Daughters
KATY, Texas — A 23-year-old Katy mother is facing charges after investigators said her two young daughters were found dead in a backyard pool and later tested positive for cocaine.
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Laura Nicholson has been charged with two counts of injury to a child in connection to the deaths of her daughters, ages 2 and 3.
The incident happened at a home on Creek Edge Court near Morton and Mason Roads, close to the Grand Parkway.
Authorities said deputies responded to the home around 11:30 a.m. after receiving reports of two children found in the pool. When first responders arrived, paramedics were already performing life-saving measures on the girls.
Both children were flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.
Court documents state the girls lived at the home with Nicholson and their grandparents. Investigators said the children’s grandmother had just returned home from running errands when she noticed the back door partially open and found both girls in the pool.
During questioning, Nicholson reportedly told investigators she had fallen asleep on the couch and woke up to her mother screaming outside.
Court records also state Nicholson told investigators the back-door latch leading to the pool had been broken for two days and would not lock properly. She allegedly admitted the children had previously gotten out of the house and run toward the pool area.
According to investigators, autopsies later revealed both girls had cocaine in their blood systems at the time of their deaths.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences stated the children may have drowned, but officials noted drowning can be difficult to confirm during an autopsy. Authorities said the autopsies could not definitively confirm or rule out drowning as the cause of death.
Investigators also said the children’s grandmother accused Nicholson of cocaine use during follow-up interviews. Court documents further revealed Child Protective Services had previously questioned Nicholson last year regarding drug allegations.
Nicholson was arrested Friday in Florida and booked into the Lee County Jail. Her bond has not yet been set.
The investigation remains ongoing.
