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

brandi elliott
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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.

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

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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

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Students help relaunch donation drive for Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

Young or old, we all love to play board and card games! Those games become even more important when you are indoors and don't have the ability to get outside, like patients in a hospital. Austin Pollack shares the story of students in a Nashville family who have helped re-launch the Red Wagon project to collect games for patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

- Lelan Statom