TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A Terre Haute woman has agreed to plead guilty today to neglect in the dehydration death of her infant son after she removed his feeding tube.
Thirty-nine-year-old Tabetha Smith would face a 16-year sentence if the plea entered Thursday is accepted. Vigo Superior Court Judge Sarah Mullican took the plea agreement under advisement.
The Tribune-Star reports Smith told police she removed her 3-month-old son's feeding tube against doctors' orders at least five days before her son died on March 12, 2018. She told police the child was born with Down syndrome, unattached intestine, heart defects and other medical issues. He was released from a hospital with a feeding tube, but Smith said she began bottle-feeding the baby due to "continued congestion" and thought he was "doing well" without the tube.
___
Information from: Tribune-Star, http://www.tribstar.com
