Home Scandal and Gossip Zachary Sabin death: Colorado parents forced son to drink 96 oz water

Zachary Sabin death: Colorado parents forced son to drink 96 oz water

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Ryan & Tara Sabin
Ryan & Tara Sabin accused of murdering 11 year old son, Zachary Sabin by forcing him to drink excess water.
Ryan & Tara Sabin
Ryan & Tara Sabin accused of murdering 11 year old son, Zachary Sabin by forcing him to drink excess water.

Zachary Sabin death: Ryan and Tara Sabin, El Paso County, Colorado parents charged with the murder of 11 year old son after forcing him to drink 96 ounces of water. 

A Colorado couple has been accused of killing their 11-year-old son after forcing the boy to drink large amounts of water.

Ryan Sabin, 41, and Tara Sabin, 42, of El Paso County, face charges of first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death and six counts of misdemeanor child abuse after turning themselves into the local sheriff Tuesday night, the Colorado Springs Gazette reports.

Authorities found their son, Zachary Sabin, dead in the family’s home on March 11 while wearing a urine-soaked diaper and with bruises across his body. An arrest affidavit says the boy was also physically abused. 

The El Paso County Coroner’s Office concluded Zachary died of forced water intoxication after the couple made him drink four 24-oz. bottles of water during a four-hour time period, without any food. 

Zachary began vomiting, developed pain in his legs, and became nonverbal and drowsy before he was put to bed, his autopsy stated.

Parents thought complaining son was being ‘over-dramatic’ 

Notes wikipedia: ‘Water, just like any other substance, can be considered a poison when over-consumed in a brief period of time. Water intoxication mostly occurs when water is being consumed in a high quantity without adequate electrolyte intake.’

Ryan Sabin, a public affairs sergeant in the US Army, called 911 at about 6:15 a.m. on March 11 when he found his son in his bed with foam coming from his mouth and blood on his bed. 

Tara Sabin, Zachary’s step-mother, reportedly told deputies that they had required Zachary to drink at least two 32-ounce water bottles a day after they noticed his urine was dark.

When Zachary complained about drinking the excessive amounts of water, his parents thought he was being overdramatic, the Gazette reported.

Ryan & Tara Sabin
Pictured, Ryan and Tara Sabin, El Paso County, Co. parents.

Betrayed by the very people who were suppose to care and protect him

According to court documents, Ryan and Tara Sabin told police that Zachary had urinary issues and needed to drink large quantities of water.

Zachary’s father told deputies that the night before Zachary had said he didn’t want to drink the water and that he was sipping it slowly and throwing it up.

But Ryan Sabin told Zachary he was only throwing up because he wasn’t drinking fast enough and that he needed to chug the water like he did in the Army.

Police filed for murder because state law says if ‘a person causes the death of a child who has not yet attained twelve years of age and the person is in a position of trust with respect to the victim,’ it’s an automatic first-degree murder charge.

Angela Tuetken, Zachary’s mother who would see the boy every other week, told the Gazette that he was a voracious reader who loved animals and hoped to be a veterinarian or zoologist.

‘He was a very gentle soul,’ Tuetken said.

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