A college professor in western Michigan has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of his 16-year-old autistic son who drowned in an icy backyard pool.
MLive.com reports that 50-year-old Timothy Koets of Georgetown Township also was arraigned last week on child abuse charges.
Samuel Koets was found face down in March in the above-ground pool behind the family's home after his father had left him outside and gone to work at Grand Rapids Community College. The teen's mother, Michelle Koets, was asleep inside the home after working a third shift as a registered nurse.
The teen's arms were bound when found in the pool. The newspaper reports that he had severe autism and his parents restrained his arms to prevent the teen from harming himself or others.
Court records did not list an attorney for Timothy Koets.
