Indiana Father High on Meth Kidnapped Daughter and Drove Truck in Shallow River; 4-year-old Daughter Died and Father Sent to Jail for Disturbing Crime
An Indiana man has been sentenced to forty years in prison for causing a tragic incident where his truck ended up in a shallow river. The man was under the influence of marijuana and methamphetamine at the time. Despite the efforts of bystanders to save them, the man’s 2-year-old daughter, Emma Sweet, tragically drowned in the vehicle.
Jeremy Sweet, 41, has been handed a 30-year prison sentence for neglecting a dependent, along with an additional 10 years for being a habitual offender, according to WRTV. Sweet pleaded guilty to both charges, leading to his sentencing on Tuesday.
It is believed that Emma passed away on Thanksgiving Day in 2021. According to an affidavit of probable cause, she and her father were last seen together on November 24, 2021, and were reported missing the following day.
Following his rescue from the truck by duck hunters on November 26, 2021, Sweet provided investigators with a detailed account of the events. He explained that he had been driving a friend to work when he became disoriented in the fields. In his confusion, he made a wrong turn onto a dirt road and unfortunately ended up falling into the east fork of the White River.
The body of the two-year-old was found by divers a few days later on November 28th, as previously reported by Fox News Digital. It is believed that the child passed away on Thanksgiving. Law enforcement determined that the river where the truck was submerged had a depth ranging from three to five feet. They suspect that Sweet intentionally drove his vehicle into the body of water from an embankment approximately 15 to 20 feet above the river.
According to FOX 59, the girl’s cause of death was determined to be “complications of hypothermia and asphyxia due to drowning,” and has been classified as a homicide.
Sweet, 41, was later charged with two serious offenses: neglect of a dependent resulting in death and unlawful possession of a syringe, according to the station. When he was rescued from the water, he was already on bond for charges related to firearm possession and methamphetamine possession, according to the sheriff’s office.
During an interview with detectives the day after his daughter’s body was found, Sweet confessed to being under the influence of meth and marijuana while driving the car into the river.
He provided several conflicting explanations of the events. According to one account, Sweet informed investigators that he had left his daughter at a location prior to the truck ending up in the water. Eventually, his account shifted, and he confessed that the young girl had indeed been present in the vehicle.
The affidavit stated that Jeremy placed Emma on the hood or roof of the truck after he noticed water entering it. “According to Jeremy, he and Emma ended up in the water.”
According to another account, Sweet mentioned that he quickly took hold of his daughter and managed to climb onto the roof of the truck, only to eventually end up in the water. According to Sweet, he left his daughter unattended on the roof and dozed off. Upon awakening, he noticed the girl’s absence, he remarked.
According to the Indianapolis Star, Sweet mentioned that he recently spotted the girl on top of the truck, calling out for her mother.
During the search for the girl in 2021, former Sheriff Matt Myers mentioned that at the crash site, investigators noticed a bent windshield wiper on the truck, giving the impression that someone had been hanging on it, as reported by The Republic.
Law enforcement later discovered that Sweet had visited a Casino in nearby Shelbyville with two friends prior to the crash. On Thanksgiving Day, he also collected his daughter from her mother in Columbus, as her mother had work obligations.
During his sentencing, Sweet became overwhelmed with emotion and expressed remorse to his ex-wife for the loss of their daughter.
Indiana Pair Arrested for Trafficking Teen Boys in Mexico: Arrested and Slapped with Several Charges
