A Maryland woman is facing attempted murder charges after police say she tried to drown her 15-year-old daughter in a Minnesota lake while bystanders watched in horror, authorities said.
Jasmine Marie Laws, 35, was visiting Battle Lake with her teenage daughter when a verbal altercation over the girl's phone allegedly escalated into violence that left the teenager submerged and struggling to breathe, according to court documents reviewed by CrimeBytes.
Background
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon at Battle Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. The mother and daughter were on a pontoon boat when the fight began, according to deputies from the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office who responded to the scene after witnesses called 911.
According to police accounts, Laws told investigators she was lying on the pontoon when her daughter began hitting her with a towel. In response, she threw the girl's phone into the water. Laws said her daughter then started punching and hitting her, prompting her to hold the teenager down by the nape of the neck at the water's edge.
But witnesses who lived nearby told police a dramatically different version of events that corroborated the victim's account. They initially believed the mother and daughter were "play fighting," but soon realized the situation had turned deadly serious as they watched both women go into the water.
"She was trying to get her phone out of the water, and that's when it happened," said one witness who ran to help, according to police reports. "We saw everything."
The Investigation
The victim's account to deputies painted a harrowing picture of the confrontation. She told investigators that after Laws threw her phone into the lake, she waded into the water to retrieve it. When she and Laws began arguing, the girl said Laws allegedly hit her first, prompting her to pull her mother's hair in self-defense.
According to court documents, the altercation escalated as Laws allegedly tried to put her daughter in a headlock and flipped her, causing her neck to hit the dock. The girl told police that Laws then pushed her into the water and held her down with her head submerged beneath the surface.
"I couldn't breathe," the teenager told deputies. "If someone hadn't pulled her off me, I would have drowned."
Witnesses recounted hearing Laws yell at her daughter while holding her head underwater: "I gave you life, I can f—ing end your life."
Deputies said the girl lay non-responsive with her eyes closed for a short period after being pulled from the water. She was transported to a hospital for treatment. A friend who had accompanied them on the trip told investigators she had to physically pry Laws' hands from the girl's hair as witnesses helped separate them.
Laws has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and three counts of domestic assault, one of which is a felony. She was released from the Otter Tail County Jail after posting bail and ordered to have no contact with her daughter.
Key Takeaways
- Jasmine Marie Laws, 35, of Maryland, has been charged with attempted second-degree murder in connection with an alleged drowning attempt at Battle Lake, Minnesota
- The victim, a 15-year-old girl, told police she could not breathe while submerged and believed she would have drowned without witness intervention
- Witnesses who intervened told police they heard Laws say 'I gave you life, I can f—ing end your life' as she held her daughter's head underwater
- Laws faces three counts of domestic assault, including one felony charge, in addition to attempted murder
- The girl was treated at a hospital for injuries sustained during the incident
What's Next
Laws has been ordered by the court to return to Minnesota for her next scheduled appearance on Aug. 26. She is subject to a no-contact order with her daughter pending the outcome of the case.
The Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office continues its investigation into the incident. Authorities have not yet indicated whether additional charges may be filed as the case proceeds through the judicial system.