Oklahoma City Pediatrician Charged with Murder in Daughter's Death

A pediatrician from Oklahoma City has been charged with first-degree murder. The charges stem from the death of her 4-year-old daughter, which investigators now believe was a staged drowning. The incident occurred at a short-term rental home in South Florida.

Dr. Neha Gupta, 36, and her daughter, Aria Talathi, were vacationing in El Portal. Gupta contacted emergency services at 3:40 a.m. on June 27, reporting a child drowning in a residential pool. According to her attorney, Richard Cooper, this was the initial report.

First responders arrived at the scene and were directed to the backyard. There, they found Talathi unresponsive in the deep end of the pool. An autopsy report later revealed the child was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Initially considered an accident, the investigation evolved into a homicide investigation. Gupta was subsequently arrested in Oklahoma City. The autopsy revealed no water in Talathi’s lungs or stomach, contradicting the drowning claim. Instead, injuries indicated asphyxiation by smothering. The medical examiner concluded the child was likely dead before being placed in the pool.

Gupta awaits extradition to Miami-Dade to face the first-degree murder charge. She will be held without bond. Gupta told detectives she and her daughter went to bed around 12:30 a.m. She claimed she awoke to a noise, found Talathi missing, and then saw her in the pool. Gupta stated she struggled to rescue her daughter before calling for help.

Gupta's attorneys expressed disappointment with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, stating they believe the office rushed to judgment. They anticipate a full investigation to uncover the truth. The Miami-Dade detectives are continuing the investigation.