A criminal defense team is seeking access to a bathtub where a Lady Lake father allegedly drowned his 18-month-old daughter.
Jeremy Main, 42, could face the death penalty if he is convicted of murdering his daughter. He has been held without bond since Oct. 9, 2017 at the Lake County Jail on a charge of first degree murder.
On the day of the baby’s death, Main turned himself in at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Annex in The Villages. Hours earlier, Main had called his wife, who was at work in Ocala. He reportedly told her he had killed their daughter. She made a frantic 911 call and soon Lake County sheriff’s deputies rushed to the family home on Redbug Road in rural Lady Lake. Deputies forced their way into the home and discovered the little girl had been drowned in a bathtub.
The defense has retained Dr. Ying Lu, a forensic engineer from Orlando, and she wants to examine the bathtub where the baby was drowned. She needs to make exact measurements with a laser as part of Main’s case, according to a motion filed in Lake County Court. She also needs to take photographs of the bathtub.
The defense team admits this could pose a problem for Main’s ex-wife, the baby’s mother. She still lives in the home and the visit might not be “well-received,” the court document said.
“To attempt to avoid any potential inflaming of the situation upon ultimate entry into the property, it is suggested that lead Case Detective Clay Watkins, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, accompany the parties to the location to act as intermediary, along with a representative of the State Attorney’s Office and the defense team,” Chief Assistant Public Defender John Spivey suggested in the motion.
A hearing date on the motion has not been set.
Main and his wife were granted a divorce in March 2018.