Mom charged with 3-year-old son’s drowning told police ‘it’s a nightmare’

An Edmonton court listened as Carmen Stewart described “a nightmare.”

Her 33-minute statement, recorded by the RCMP, was played in court Friday morning.

Stewart is on trial for failing to provide the necessaries of life following the drowning death of her three-year-old son Traeh on June 30, 2013.

In her statement, Stewart said she and her children were visiting friends at a Mink Lake campsite. The lake is about an hour west of Edmonton.

The kids spent the day playing in and around the site and at a park right next to the campsite.

The older kids went to the arcade. Stewart had to feed her newborn and Traeh started running out of the site.

Stewart said she asked him where he was going. Traeh said he was going to the park next to the site. Although Stewart couldn’t see the park from where she was sitting, she said, “OK.”

She began feeding her youngest but said, “He wasn’t even done his four-ounce bottle when Darcy came up and got me.”

Her friend had tears in his eyes and Stewart knew something horrible had happened.

“I didn’t want to know,” Stewart said. “I didn’t know what happened. I just knew it had to do with one of my kids.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I didn't want to know," Stewart said. "I didn't know what happened. I just knew it had to do with one of my kids."

For some reason, Traeh had wandered away from the park and towards nearby Mink Lake. Police said he was found floating near a dock, unresponsive.

In the police statement recorded about a month after Traeh’s death, Stewart tearfully said, “I don’t want to live. I don’t care if I crash my car and die. I just want to be with him.”

Stewart also said she was surprised her three-year-old went to the lake. She said Traeh was afraid of the water and that he didn’t even want to lie down in the bathtub.

She concluded the interview by saying, “I know I won’t be charged because I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: She concluded the interview by saying, "I know I won't be charged because I didn't do anything wrong."

In June of 2014, police charged Stewart with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessaries of life.

READ MORE: Mother charged in Mink Lake death

She is only being tried on the latter charge.

At the time charges were laid, RCMP Cpl. Colette Zazulak wouldn’t talk specifically about Stewart’s case but said, “In order to have grounds to lay those charges, one has to demonstrate a behaviour that is a marked departure from what a reasonable person would expect.”

Friday was the first day of Stewart’s trial. Much of the time was spent determining what parts of her statement would be admissible in the trial heard by an Edmonton judge.

A decision is expected early next week on which parts of the evidence will be allowed.