WICHITA COUNTY ( KFDX/KJTL ) — The father of a one-month-old girl who died and tested positive for meth has pleaded guilty to child endangerment.

Bowdrie Stillwell, 29, received eight months in state jail in the plea on Thursday, Sept. 12, in 89th District Court.

The baby died in early 2023, but Stillwell was not jailed or charged in Wichita County until this year after he was returned from serving a sentence in Oklahoma on a drug conviction.

On Jan. 7, 2023, Wichita Falls police responded to the 1300 block of Central Freeway East on a deceased infant. A preliminary autopsy showed no immediate cause of death.

Police said Stillwell admitted he was a meth user, and the mother denied using any drugs. Stillwell tested positive for meth, and the mother tested negative for all substances. The final autopsy report also showed meth in the baby’s blood.

The charge of endangerment alleged Stillwell put the child in danger of death, injury, or impairment by his drug use.

While in jail in Oklahoma, Stillwell wrote to a judge asking that he be extradited to Texas with 22 days remaining on his sentence.

He said his wife was pregnant with their second child, and he wanted to be here for his new son.

He told the judge they had lost their other child to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Stillwell also wrote that he was a struggling addict and had been sober for two years until their baby died.

Records show Stillwell has eight previous convictions in Wichita County, including possession of controlled substances, burglaries, and thefts.

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