PITTSBURGH (AP/WFLA) — A Pittsburgh woman has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in the death of her toddler daughter that authorities said was due to the narcotic fentanyl found in the child’s pink sippy cup.
Allegheny County jurors convicted 23-year-old Jhenea Pratt on the two charges Tuesday in the death of 17-month-old Charlette Napper-Talley. But the panel, which began deliberations Monday, rejected convicting her of first- or third-degree murder.
Emergency responders found the toddler not breathing in April 2018, and authorities in Allegheny County said a lethal amount of fentanyl was found in her blood. They said Pratt told them she had “no clue” how the drug ended up in the beverage.
Assistant District Attorney Diana Page argued that Pratt wanted to get rid of her child so she could smoke marijuana, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Pratt wanted to “sit back, relax and smoke marijuana,” Page said. “That baby was getting in the way of her enjoying her pastime.”
Defense attorney Brandon Herring said his client “has always maintained that she would never intentionally hurt” her child.
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