Erin Robyn Lottmann, of St. Charles County, was sentenced Nov. 5, 2012, to 12 years in prison for allowing her 15-month old nephew to drown.
AA Member Erin Lottmann did not only go to AA meetings before this tragedy occurred, but had become an AA Meeting Group Leader! She still got 12 years. So we have a woman pleading guilty to felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child she let drown in her presence, and she had been leading AA meetings and sponsoring people! Just another example of the insanity of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Drunk babysitter sentenced to 12 years for letting nephew drown in St. Charles County
November 05, 2012 12:13 pm • By Susan Weich
ST. CHARLES COUNTY • A woman who got drunk and allowed her 15-month-old nephew to drown in her backyard swimming pool was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison.
Erin Robyn Lottmann, 36, of the 2900 block of Rockwood Trail Court, pleaded guilty to felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child.
Lottmann was baby-sitting the boy, John Robert Howard of Warrenton, at her home on Aug. 1, 2011. She got drunk and went swimming with the child.
In testimony Monday, Lottmann told Circuit Judge Nancy Schneider that she had been baby-sitting her nephew regularly for about a year.
On the day of the drowning, she said she had four shots of whiskey, but she can’t remember anything else. She said she had suffered blackouts in the past from drinking, and she believes that is what happened that day.
Assistant Prosecutor Becky Schaffer told the judge that tests showed Lottmann’s blood-alcohol content was 0.308 percent, nearly quadruple the legal limit for driving.
On the day of the drowning, Lottmann’s 14-year-old daughter discovered the boy unconscious on the swimming pool deck about noon. The teen told her mother the child was not breathing, and Lottmann replied, “Oh really?” and continued swimming, according to police reports.
The teen took the boy inside and called 911, but paramedics were unable to revive the child.
In a victim impact statement from Shawna Howard, the boy’s mother and Lottmann’s sister, she described her son as beautiful, happy, “all boy” and just beginning to talk.
Howard said she had a lot of anger at her sister because her son’s death was no accident.
“She left him to die on the side of the pool,” she said. “His death could have been prevented so easily.”
Howard said she knew her sister had battled alcoholism, but she had been doing well and was even a group leader for Alcoholics Anonymous.
“She knew she should have called someone, and she didn’t do it,” Howard said.
Schneider followed the sentence recommended by prosecutors. Lottmann got seven years for involuntary manslaughter and five years for child endangerment, with the sentences running consecutively.
I AM about to defend AA and ALL other 12-step organizations. In no way, shape, or form is AA, NA, CA, or any other 12-step program responsible for the actions of Erin Lottmann. In AA we always say the phrase, “Call your sponsor before you take that first drink!” Erin failed to do that and that is what Erin’s sister Shawna meant when she said, “She knew she should have called someone, and she didn’t do it.” I knew Erin and I seen Erin around the tables for a couple years. She was what we would call a chronic relapser. She would get 3 months and relapse. Get 9 months and relapse. Get 4 months and relapse. In the time period she was coming around AA she learned fully well the risks involved with alcohol and drug use. She also learned tools on how to avoid those risks and avoid relapse, but; so many times she chose not to use those tools. On August 1st 2011 Erin Lottmann had a desire to take a drink and she knew, just like her sister said, how to avoid taking the drink. All she had to do was pick up the phone and call another AA member. She knew what to do!!! AA told her over, and over, and over what to do. WE DID OUR PART!!! She CHOSE not to make the call. I guarantee you the thought crossed her mind. We burn that thought in the mind of everyone who comes to AA. But she chose not tocall someone and these are the results. We warned her of results such as these. She chose to try it her way.
I am not about to attempt to defend AA or any other 12 step group. What the people posting comments here are oblivious too understand is the word anonymous and what it stands for negates all need to publicly defend.
I am however a friend of Erin. I was actually swimming with her in that pool two weeks before the unfortunate drowning of her nephew John. I cannot defend what happened to him, I can only say that Erin, accepted her sentence, her debt owed to society with absolute and sincere determination to do what ever is required of her, her amends goes much deeper, she loved her nephew a great deal, and she will never be able to forgive herself. She has lost her home, her husband, that teenage daughter that found John, and her entire family. Her sister, John’s mother plans to attend every parole hearing to make sure that she is not released early. She has nothing, Other than myself I don’t know of anyone that writes to her. So I ask you, is this enough ? Has she paid enough to satisfy you ” the public:” for the harm she has caused you. ? Taking the position that you are strongly opposed to the drowning of babies, reveals the depth of your intellectual conviction which is only eclipsed by your fear of the very institution she was seeking help from. Please…….
Why did she not call for help? Her sister seems to think this was done on purpose? I do not understand totally what happened. Her own family cannot forgive her so I assume there is a lot more to this story. I cannot imagine the pain she has put her whole family through, especially her sister.
The point that is trying to be made is the type of people that are in the rooms of AA and who also sponsor and lead meetings. It was also most likely used in her defense to try to get less of a sentence.
Nothing that happens to her is enough or will be enough.
An eye for an eye.
Still waiting.
Her family bailed her out way to many times. All the rehabs, All the letting live with them, and All the attention getters that she pulled off and put her parents through. And her sister.
Today she gets out. I’m not in favor of it, nor are her family.
She has nowhere nohow paid for
drowning Baby John
Taking the life of your sisters and bother in laws son
Who was blessed to been able to have this pregnancy after all they had gone through.
You can said she black out… but we did not. Sitting an holding a lifeless
sweet baby is not something you black out from ever.
This is such a tragic story. It seems that AA still has so many people fooled into believing what they are saying. It is unfortunate that they have now become sewn into the fabric of our society.
I agree Dana, it is so tragic how AA has so many brainwashed about the 12 step dogma.
Dana- we need to educate society and the churches. AA is a PAGAN religion being accepted by most Christian Churches.
AA are wolves in sheep clothing.
Great site about Christianity vs AA http://www.theaachurch.com
I wonder if she babysits the children of AA members? In AA or NA nothing would stop her from doing so. What about the children?