STUART — An Iowa mother remains jailed on a felony child endangerment charge following the drowning death of her 2-year-old child, while her attorneys are asking a judge to reduce her bond.
The Stuart Police Department arrested Gifty Gilman of Stuart on the evening of June 10, 2026, on a warrant charging her with child endangerment resulting in death.
Police identified Gilman as 30 years old at the time of her arrest. A current custody record lists her as 31 and shows that she remains in custody at the Adair County Jail.
The charge stems from the May 27 drowning of the toddler at a pond near the Union Estates housing development in Stuart.
Emergency responders found the 2-year-old unresponsive following the incident. The child was transported to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, where medical personnel continued efforts to save the child’s life.
Despite extensive medical treatment, the toddler died on June 4.
Court records show that the Stuart Police Department filed a criminal complaint in Adair County case FECR074728 on June 5. A judge ordered an arrest warrant issued on June 9 with no bond.
Gilman (pictured at top) was arrested the following evening in the 500 block of Max Drive in Stuart.
At her initial appearance, the court scheduled a preliminary hearing for June 22 and later appointed the public defender’s office to represent her.
Court filings show that attorneys Joel Christopher Baxter and Frank Severino Jr. entered appearances on Gilman’s behalf. Baxter filed a waiver of the preliminary hearing and a motion for bond reduction on June 19.
A hearing on the bond-reduction request is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, July 17, 2026, in Adair County District Court.
Authorities have not publicly explained how the child entered the pond or disclosed the specific evidence supporting the charge. Police have also not publicly identified the child.
The Stuart Police Department said the investigation remains active and that no additional information would be released at this time.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation. Gilman is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.