An Oklahoma pediatrician allegedly murdered her daughter and then staged the death to make it look like an accidental drowning while vacationing in Florida, police said.
Dr. Neha Gupta was staying in a short-term rental property with her 4-year-old daughter in Florida when authorities were called in the early morning hours of June 27, according to The Oklahoman.
The newspaper reported that Gupta told authorities that she and her daughter had enjoyed a fun day of hanging out at the beach and riding jet skis. She told police they fell asleep around midnight, and she woke up to noise around 3:30 a.m. She realized her daughter was not with her, went to look for her and found her in the pool.
Police now say that Dr. Gupta's story was a fabricated attempt to cover up a murder. They charged her with first-degree murder on July 2 and court documents revealed some of the events that led up to the little girl's death.
The child's father had filed for divorce from Dr. Gupta in 2022 and was not with them. He was unaware that his daughter had been taken to Florida for the trip, News 4 reported.
News 4 reported that, according to the arrest warrant, the medical examiner did not find water in the girl's lungs. The examiner did find cuts and bruising on her mouth that were consistent with smothering.
The station reported that the girl's father had expressed concerns about Dr. Gupta and had asked for a psych evaluation and that such an evaluation was "crucial to ensure the safety of the minor child," according to News 4. Also, a parenting coordinator received concerns about parental behavior from the girl's daycare and that Dr. Gupta "was creating chaos at the school with her actions," according to court documents quoted by the station.
According to The Oklahoman, the divorce proceedings between the girl's father and Dr. Gupta had not gone smoothly, with court documents describing "a highly contentious and procedurally complex litigation spanning over two years, marked by aggressive tactics, repeated motions for extraordinary relief, and protracted proceedings."
At one point, Dr. Gupta was employed by OU Health and the University of Oklahoma. In a joint statement to The Oklahoman, the organizations said they had ended their association with her a month before the alleged murder: "Dr. Neha Gupta was suspended from patient care, given notice of termination, and was no longer seeing patients at the health system as of May 30, 2025," the statement read. "She has also been given notice of termination by the University."
