A Pennsylvania woman has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill to charges stemming from a 2022 attempt to kill her 8-year-old daughter with opioids. The 32-year-old mother was convicted of attempted homicide, aiding suicide, aggravated assault, kidnapping, interference with child custody, and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a May 27 press release from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office.
McClatchy News has chosen not to identify the woman in order to protect the identity of the child. The incident took place in November 2022, when the woman abducted her daughter from a residence where the child had been placed under emergency care.
According to authorities, she left behind handwritten letters stating that she required “the powerful opioid to protect herself and the child,” and claimed she had been told by God that her death was imminent. Using cellphone tracking, law enforcement officials located the mother and daughter in a wooded area.
The child was found to have fentanyl and other opiates in her system, leading authorities to conclude that the mother had attempted to kill her daughter using the drugs. According to police and court records, the woman later told a judge that she believed a serial killer was pursuing them and that her actions were part of a desperate effort to protect her daughter from a horrific fate.
“My only goal was to save my daughter from a serial killer. I did not realize I had schizophrenia until it was too late,” she said during sentencing, as reported by TribLive. “If any unstoppable killer came after you, wouldn’t you make an escape plan? I promise I was just trying to save us…”
The court acknowledged her mental illness in the verdict, which led to the “guilty but mentally ill” plea, meaning the defendant will receive mental health treatment while serving her sentence. She was ordered to serve up to 20 years in prison. Officials emphasized that the child is now in a safe environment and receiving the care she needs.
Throughout the legal proceedings, the case has drawn attention to the challenges surrounding untreated mental illness, especially among parents and guardians responsible for young children. Authorities said the outcome of the case reflects both the seriousness of the crimes and the importance of continued mental health treatment for those struggling with severe psychiatric conditions.
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