Judge denies bond for Auburn woman accused of starving drowning her little boy

OPELIKA, Ala.  (WRBL) - A Lee County Judge is denying bond for an Auburn woman accused of murdering her six-year-old child. His name was Sulivan and he was the youngest of Kelly and Mark Watford’s seven sons. The couple lost custody of the children after Sulivan’s death. 

Kelly Watford admitted to police Sulivan had never seen a pediatrician since birth, and none of the children had visited a doctor since the onset of the Covid pandemic in early 2020. Defendant homeschooled all the children and primarily cared for Sulivan, while her husband, the children's father, worked during the day as a nurse at a plasma center.

On June 14, paramedics responded to the Watford residence on Core Drive, where they found Sulivan unresponsive. Their attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. Court documents indicate Kelly Watford claimed Sulivan started having trouble breathing while she was bathing him and that she did not leave him unsupervised during the bath. She was arrested by Auburn Police and charged with her son’s Murder.

The court’s decision to deny bond came at the request of Assistant District Attorneys, Clay Thomas and Garrett Saucer, after Wednesday's Aniah’s hearing. Judge Russell Bush heard testimony from witnesses for the prosecution and defense. The court was also presented pictures of Sulivan taken shortly after his death. Judge Bush described the images as resembling scenes from Holocaust documentaries, expressing shock at the severity of Sulivan’s condition. The postmortem examination revealed Sulivan weighed only 21 pounds at the time of his death and exhibited signs of drowning. Medical personnel reported during their resuscitation efforts, approximately 400 milliliters of fluid consistent with drowning were expelled from Sullivan's airways. 

The full court order from Judge Bush can be read below. It was released late Friday. To summarize, the court affirmed evidence suggesting the child died as a result of drowning and exhibited signs of severe malnourishment. The defendant claimed the child's death was due to an allergic reaction to a vapor rub, but the court found no evidence supporting this claim. The court also considered the defendant's character, lack of criminal history, and ties to the community. However, based on the seriousness of the offense, the risk posed by the defendant, and the compelling evidence against her, the court granted the state's request to hold the defendant without bond.

The order reads in part: After careful consideration of those matters raised by the parties…the decision to deny bond is supported by various findings and facts presented in court:

1. The nature and circumstances of the charged offense, along with the defendant's conduct during the commission of the offense, created a significant risk of danger to the victim, the defendant's other children, and potentially others nearby whom the defendant may have intended to harm.
2. The defendant is facing a potential lengthy prison sentence, which increases the risk of them not appearing in court if granted bond.
3. The state has provided sufficient evidence demonstrating probable cause for the charged offense.
4. Allowing the defendant to be on bond or at large would pose a real and immediate danger to both the defendant and others.
5. The evidence presented in court indicates that the defendant likely caused or, at the very least, allowed their six-year-old son, Sullivan Watford, to drown in a bathtub. The defendant then fabricated a false story claiming the child's death was due to an illness or allergic reaction to an over-the-counter product. However, there is no supporting evidence for the defendant's claims. The court considers this act as evidence of the defendant's depraved mind and heart.
6. Additionally, the evidence shows that the defendant and her husband are educated professionals and homeowners residing in a solid, middle to upper-middle-class neighborhood. They are financially stable, as indicated by recent booking photographs depicting well-fed adults. Despite their apparent means, the defendant has neglected to provide nourishment and medical care to their child, Sullivan, for an extended period. This conduct suggests a depraved mind and heart on the part of the defendant. Sullivan appeared to be on the brink of death by starvation in the near future.
7. The evidence against the defendant is compelling, and the state has presented "clear and convincing" evidence that no set of conditions for release could reasonably ensure the safety of the community or any other person, as required by §15-13-3(b)(1) of the Code of Alabama (1975).

Based on these findings, the state's request to hold the defendant without bond until the resolution of the case has been granted.

Kelly Watford, 47, wearing prison coveralls and with her head down throughout the hearing, appeared in court. Cameras were not allowed inside the courtroom at the request of Watford's defense team, preventing the recording of video or testimony. Journalists were permitted to take notes.

Testimony revealed Kelly Watford, a licensed professional counselor, had previously worked at the Lee County Department of Mental Health. The child's father, Mark Watford, is also facing charges of Aggravated Child Abuse in connection with Sulivan's death. Mark Watford has already posted his $30,000 bond and was not present in court.

During the hearing, Chad Smith, a former co-worker of Kelly Watford and a family counselor in Opelika, testified in her defense. He described Watford as competent in her job and stated that, based on his knowledge of her, she would not pose a danger to society. However, when Smith saw the pictures of Sulivan, he was visibly disturbed. Prosecutors asked him if he would leave a child alone with Watford, to which he responded that he would not, despite not having any children of his own.

On the day of her son's death, Kelly Watford reportedly told investigators he had been coughing, and she used a vapor rub on him for the first time. According to testimony from Watford's mother and brother, she attributed Sulivan's death to an allergic reaction to the rub. Both her mother and brother testified Watford was a good person, excelled in school, cared for others, and was a good mother. They mentioned Sulivan was a "picky" eater.

However, when shown the postmortem photos of Sulivan, both Watford's mother and brother became visibly shaken and upset. Prosecutors asked Watford's mother if the images indicated death from an allergic reaction to the vapor rub, to which she replied, "No, sir."

Kelly Watford's defense attorney, Algert Agricola, requested a bond, arguing she was not a flight risk or a danger to the community. It was revealed in court Watford no longer has custody of her other six children. The defense suggested the judge could impose house arrest and require her to wear an ankle monitor. Agricola declined to comment after the hearing.