MUNCIE, Ind. — A Muncie woman was sentenced Monday to 16 years in prison for the death of her infant child more than eight years ago.
Tricia Cavanaugh pled guilty earlier this month to neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury. Prosecutors alleged Cavanaugh took drugs, then slept in the same bed as her 4-month-old daughter, subjecting the child to unsafe sleeping conditions.
Police officers were dispatched to Cavanaugh's home on June 9, 2016 and found the baby unresponsive on the floor, with her mother "crying hysterically" and trying to administer CPR. The infant later died at the hospital.
The officers reported Cavanaugh appeared to be intoxicated when they arrived at her home. She said she fell asleep after breastfeeding her daughter, then woke up in the morning with the baby in bed next to her, face down.
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Court records show that Cavanaugh had been warned multiple times about the dangers of co-sleeping before her daughter died. She also tested positive for controlled substances, prosecutors said when charges were filed against Cavanaugh in 2017.
At one point during her sentencing hearing, Cavanaugh reportedly described herself as a "super mom."
"I am not so sure about that," Judge Douglas Mawhorr replied.
Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman said, "This case is a prime example of a needless death of an infant due to unsafe sleep practices."
Hoffman urged parents to remember "the ABC's of safe sleep," which include making sure infants and babies sleep alone, on their backs and in a crib.
"Contrary to the belief of some, sleeping in an adult bed with your infant or engaging in other unsafe sleep practices is, by definition, child neglect," Hoffman said.
