A Plymouth woman set to be sentenced Wednesday in Marshall County Superior Court has seen her murder charges dropped.
24-year-old Kristi Lavanway was arrested earlier this year after she is accused of failing to get her 2-year-old daughter, Serenity Wilson, medical care.
Wilson sustained major injuries at the Economy Inn Motel, allegedly at the hands of Lavanway’s partner, Shane Weedling. The child received hours of intensive medical care, but eventually died as a result of blunt force trauma to her head.
Lavanway was facing multiple charges heading into her sentencing hearing, including felony counts of Neglect of a Dependant Resulting in Death and Murder. The murder charge has since been dropped by the Marshall County Prosecutor’s office. Weedling will continue to face murder charges in the case.
Prosecutor Nelson Chipman says they have no evidence that Lavanway struck Wilson, but she “grossly neglected” and ignored the infant when she needed medical care.
Under the current charges, Lavanway could face up to 40 years in prison. Chipman says justice will be best served by accepting the guilty plea on the Neglect of a Dependant charges.
Lavanway’s sentencing hearing will take place Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.
