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BY Dollita Okine, 5:55pm July 08, 2025,

Dad pleads guilty to drowning 3-month-old baby in a bucket of laundry detergent

by Dollita Okine, 5:55pm July 08, 2025,
Photo credit: WTHR

Jacob Moneus, a 3-month-old newborn in Indiana, died after his father drowned him in a bucket of washing detergent, according to police. Jacob was murdered on August 10, 2024.  According to WTHR, his father, Eliasard Moneus, pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder and was given a 92-year prison sentence.

Eliasard Moneus admitted to the murder of his child, Jacob, whom he shoved into a bucket after assaulting his wife with a tire iron. Jacob died from suffocation, while his mother survived.

READ ALSO: 1-month-old baby dies after mother accidentally puts her in oven instead of crib, officials say

Eliasard Moneus’s wife claims in court records that he became angry with her on August 5, 2024, and the two had not spoken since.

According to reports, the woman told police that she was watching a church service at home in a chair in her bedroom with Jacob when Eliasard Moneus came in, snatched the baby, and she heard the front door close.

Eliasard Moneus arrived home about 30 minutes later, entered the bedroom, and hit his wife several times with what was described as a tire iron or wrench.

The wife informed the police that Eliasard Moneus left their house after that, adding that she was unaware of the whereabouts of baby Jacob as Eliasard Moneus had allegedly left the house with the baby before the attack.

READ ALSO: 7-month-old Pennsylvania baby dies from fentanyl poisoning

She drove herself to the hospital, where she was treated for her injuries, which included a fractured skull.

Officers then went to the hospital, where they learned Jacob was not with her. The baby was still nowhere to be found when the police returned to the apartment.

A press release stated that Jacob went missing on August 10, 2024, and that a Silver Alert had been issued for him. According to Lafayette Police, the infant was thought to be in “extreme danger” and required medical care.

The alert was lifted the following day, though, after the 3-month-old was discovered dead in a “devastating development.”

When police returned to conduct a second search of the flat, they reported finding infant Jacob’s body “very well hidden where a normal person wouldn’t think to look.”

Detectives found infant Jacob dead in a bucket with the lid on, next to a garbage can in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Eliasard Moneus was cleared of charges of aggravated battery, criminal confinement, and domestic battery as part of a plea agreement.

READ ALSO: Mom reacts after her 2-year-old drowns in backyard pool the day after her wedding

Last Edited by:Mildred Europa Taylor Updated: July 8, 2025

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