MIAMI, FL — Authorities have charged an Oklahoma pediatrician with first-degree murder after her 4-year-old daughter was discovered unresponsive in a swimming pool at a rented Florida home, in what investigators describe as a staged drowning.
Neha Gupta, 36, was arrested following the death of her daughter, who was found at an Airbnb property in the Miami area on June 27. Police responded to an emergency call around 3:41 a.m. and located the young girl in the deep end of the backyard pool. Paramedics transported the child to a local hospital, but she was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
According to investigators, Gupta — a pediatric physician from Oklahoma — and her daughter had traveled to Miami two days earlier and were the only guests staying at the residence. Authorities revealed the child’s father was unaware that she had been taken out of Oklahoma, noting that a contentious custody dispute was ongoing between Gupta and her ex-husband.
In an interview conducted hours after her daughter’s death, Gupta claimed she was awakened by a noise in the early morning hours and discovered her daughter missing from bed. Gupta stated she found the sliding glass door to the patio open and the girl submerged in the pool. She told police she tried to help her daughter but was unable to swim, then contacted emergency services after several minutes.
Initial evidence suggested an accidental drowning; however, a subsequent autopsy contradicted that narrative. The medical examiner reported that the child’s lungs and stomach were “dry,” indicating she had not drowned. Further examination found internal injuries in the child’s mouth and bruising on her face, which the examiner determined were not the result of attempted resuscitation.
Based on these findings, authorities believe the girl was deceased before entering the water and that the injuries were consistent with suffocation. The autopsy also noted the child’s stomach was empty, a detail that conflicted with Gupta’s statement that her daughter had eaten dinner earlier in the evening.
Investigators concluded that the circumstances and evidence suggested Gupta killed her daughter and subsequently attempted to disguise the crime by making it appear to be an accidental drowning.
Gupta is currently being held without bond in Oklahoma pending extradition to Florida. She had been suspended from her duties at OU Health in late May and is no longer seeing patients, according to statements from the University of Oklahoma.
No court date has been set as the investigation continues. Johnson’s legal counsel maintains Gupta’s innocence and has criticized authorities for what they described as hasty action, noting their client’s cooperation during the investigation.