In exchange for a 20-year prison sentence, Siarra Naomi Morgan, the mother of Syrus Morgan, pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Class A felony punishable by a maximum of 50 years.
At a hearing Thursday, Morgan, 21, admitted she handled the child in an abusive manner that included the child's head shaking back and forth unsupported and the baby's head forcibly hitting solid surfaces. The physical abuse occurred between Aug. 7, 2013, and Oct. 22, 2013 at their Gary home in the city's Aetna section.
In court documents, Morgan admitted she had been told that handling the baby posed a high risk of injuring him, "but due to lack of parental assistance of training," Morgan continued to handle Syrus in a rough and dangerous manner, her plea documents state. Morgan admitted that the injuries Syrus suffered accumulated and resulted in his death.
Morgan was 19 when she was charged with neglect, battery resulting in death, and six other felony counts. The case was upgraded with a murder charge, punishable by 45 to 65 years, which will be dismissed at her sentencing hearing, officials said. She and her boyfriend at the time, Melvin McNair, 29, were extradited from Texas at a cost to taxpayers of $2,565 and $1,215, respectively.
Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas took the agreement under advisement and scheduled a Nov. 19 sentencing hearing.
Meanwhile, McNair pleaded guilty Jan. 26 to a charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury. McNair, 29, of Park Forest, Ill., admitted he observed Morgan handle the baby in an abusive manner and noticed the baby's demeanor and behavior deteriorate, but didn't obtain medical care.
McNair faces from two to eight years in Lake County Community Corrections at his Dec. 1 sentencing hearing. McNair had agreed to testify against Morgan at her jury trial, which had been scheduled to begin Nov. 2.
McNair posted $1,500 cash bond and was released to an ICU Court Monitoring ankle monitor, then later allowed to wear a GPS monitor and live in Park Forest. His extradition cost will be deducted from his bond, Cappas said.
On Oct. 22, 2013, Syrus was brought to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus with severe head trauma and was unresponsive. The baby was transferred to University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, where he was removed from life support Oct. 25, 2013, after doctors found no brain activity, the probable cause affidavit states. The baby had skull fractures of the right and left temporal, parietal and occipital bones; bleeding within the brain, healing rib fractures, retinal hemorrhages, swelling of the brain, and other injuries, court records state.
0 comments:
Post a Comment