On December 15, 2023, Ravionne Pullum, 24, left her 10-month-old son unattended in a bathtub at their home near 117th and Mary Streets in northwest Omaha, Nebraska. Earlier that evening, Pullum had consumed two to three shots of tequila at a friend's house before returning home around 11 p.m. While preparing for a trip, she decided to bathe the child, filling the tub to his chest level while he was sitting. She then left the bathroom to get a towel and became distracted by items that needed to be packed, leaving the child alone for approximately five to six minutes. Upon returning, she found the child floating face-up and unresponsive in the water. She began CPR, and her mother took over while she called 911. The child was transported to Children's Nebraska hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A preliminary breath test administered around 5 a.m. showed Pullum's blood-alcohol level at 0.07, just below Nebraska's 0.08 legal limit. Pullum was charged with negligent child abuse resulting in death, was arrested in April 2024, convicted by a jury in December 2024, and sentenced to five years of probation in March 2025.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
The WOWT article (Document 2) states: "The child drowned and could not be revived via CPR." The KETV article (Document 3) describes how the mother found the child "unresponsive in the water" after leaving him in the bathtub. The Journal Star article (Document 1) also references a jury conviction after the "10-month-old boy drowned in bathtub."
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
All sources describe Pullum leaving her 10-month-old son unattended in a bathtub. The WOWT article states: "Pullum left her 10-month-old child in a bathtub unattended for more than five minutes." The KETV article further explains she "went into the bedroom to get a towel, leaving him unattended for five or six minutes" and was distracted by seeing "something that needed to be packed." This is a clear case of inappropriate supervision of a very young child.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Ravionne Pullum is explicitly identified as the biological mother. All documents describe her as the mother of the 10-month-old victim. The KETV article states: "Omaha police need help finding woman accused of child abuse resulting in death of her 10-month-old son." The WOWT sentencing article (Document 5) states she "was sentenced to five years probation for committing child abuse negligently resulting in death" and that she "left her 10-month-old baby in a bathtub unattended."
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Ravionne Pullum was charged and convicted. The WOWT sentencing article (Document 5) states: "Ravionne Pullum, 25, was sentenced to five years probation for committing child abuse negligently resulting in death." Document 2 states she is "wanted on one count of negligent child abuse resulting in death." Document 5 also notes: "Police arrested her in April." The Journal Star (Document 1) reports: "A Douglas County jury convicted a 25-year-old mother of negligent child abuse about one year after her 10-month-old son drowned in a bathtub."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Multiple sources reference Pullum's alcohol consumption prior to the incident. The KETV article (Document 3) states: "PULLUM DRANK TEQUILA AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE THAT NIGHT." The WOWT article (Document 2) notes: "The affidavit also says Pullum blew a .07 into a breathalyzer, registering a blood-alcohol level slightly below the legal limit." Document 1's encoded text, when decoded, states she had "two to three shots of tequila" at a friend's house.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the case. First, despite being charged with a felony (negligent child abuse resulting in death), Pullum initially could not be located and was the subject of an active police search with Crime Stoppers involvement. As Document 2 states, "Omaha Crime Stoppers asked for the public's help in its search for 24-year-old Ravionne Pullum." Second, after being convicted by a jury in December 2024, Pullum received a sentence of only five years probation — a notably lenient outcome for a charge involving a child's death. Document 5 states: "Ravionne Pullum, 25, was sentenced to five years probation for committing child abuse negligently resulting in death." The combination of the suspect initially evading arrest and the relatively lenient sentence for a death case may be noteworthy to researchers studying legal outcomes in child fatality cases.
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