The mother of an 18-year-old Merrillville woman who drowned in the swimming pool at the home of Family Christian Center senior pastors has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Lake Superior Court.

Vicki Olds, the mother of Domonique “Nikki” Smith, is suing Steve and Melodye Munsey and Family Christian Center, located at 340 45th Ave., Munster, and the land trust that owns the church property, according to the lawsuit.

Family Christian Center hired Smith, a church member, to baby-sit the Munseys' grandchild in their Schererville home in the 1400 Block of Wilderness Drive on May 29, 2015, the lawsuit stated. At about 1 p.m., Smith was reportedly found floating face down in the Munseys' swimming pool, documents said.

Paramedics called to the scene were unable to resuscitate Smith, as she never regained consciousness and died of brain damage on June 1, 2015, the lawsuit stated.

Olds' attorney, Trent McCain, of Indianapolis, said the lawsuit is an attempt to learn the truth and give Olds closure.

An attempt to reach the Munseys for comment at the Family Christian Center was unsuccessful. A spokesperson at the church declined comment.

McCain said Smith baby-sat for the Munseys' grandchild on many occasions, beginning in November 2014, seven months prior to her death.

“Nikki was an excellent swimmer,” McCain said. “She was no stranger to water. This young lady was a picture of health.”

Smith's official cause of death was drowning, McCain said, but how she drowned remains a mystery. He noted toxicology reports indicated no drugs or alcohol in Smith's system and that her organs were donated.

“Her heart is still beating — in someone else's chest,” he said, adding that there were no bruises or marks on her body. “The only thing strange found was an erosion of the esophagus, but she had never been diagnosed with acid reflux disease or any other ailments.”

McCain hopes the lawsuit will help cement the timeline of events.

Melodye Munsey was home at the time of the incident, but told police she had “passed out,” the lawsuit states.

Olds, seeking unspecified damages, alleges the defendants were “reckless, negligent and failed to entirely supervise the persons swimming in the pool,” court documents stated.

Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.