News

Actions

Hendersonville mom who admitted to drowning her daughter indicted for her death

brandi elliott
Posted

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Tennessee woman who admitted to drowning her daughter has been indicted, but prosecutors won't seek the death penalty.

Brandi Elliott is charged with felony murder after confessing to holding her 7-year-old daughter Piper's head underwater at Old Hickory Lake last July until she stopped breathing. Elliott has remained in the Sumner County Jail without bond since her arrest by Hendersonville police on July 14.

A grand jury indicted her for first degree murder.

I spoke with District Attorney Ray Whitley who tells me he will seek life in prison without parole and not the death penalty.

Elliott is scheduled for a settlement hearing soon. Unless she pleads guilty, the case will be set for trial.

Her attorney may also argue she is not competent to stand trial.

Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nick.beres@newschannel5.com.

Carrie: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/2e/72/be0f23854c54a228c9d6138c9847/carrie-recommends-header.png

Rhori: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/5b/25/a224d13d47739165c92b94e643db/rhori-recommends-header.png

Eugene: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/7b/09/9eaf788d46f580c4234978610d60/screenshot-2026-04-29-at-12-11-52-pm.png

Lelan: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/af/54/833bf879454097a398bd44f723de/lelan-recommends.png

Nikki-Dee: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/e1/b4/685a931d4182b82d9322d496fa15/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-01-18-pm.png

Henry: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/f7/31/2e3894bf45d9a1668f1ccc56b9f6/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-01-00-pm.png

Katie: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/77/55/afe9375249a4b9e058e4b2c3d2ea/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-00-46-pm.png

Brittany: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/67/90/788e5c364f00baabf9c5edae87e2/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-00-06-pm.png

Jennifer: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/e4/1e/9771c0824888a0fd87b2a1030979/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-02-19-pm.png

The skies were closed on 9/11. A Nashville phone call helped save a baby’s life

September 11, 2001 is a day most associate with terror and tragedy. Austin Pollack shares a story from that day about hope and persistence: the effort to save a little girl’s life – with an organ donation. The problem? The young patient was in Houston, and her life-saving liver here in Nashville. With the grounding of all civilian aircraft, how could it be done? “Nobody ever said this isn’t possible.”

- Rhori Johnston