Portland mother sentenced to 9 years for cutting daughter’s wrists

PORTLAND, Ind. (WISH) — A Portland woman will spend nearly a decade behind bars for cutting the wrists of her 2-year-old daughter and saying she was ordered to do so by God.

A Jay County judge on Monday sentenced 25-year-old Raven Myers to nine years in prison and five years of probation after she pleaded guilty but mentally ill to one count of battery with serious bodily injury to a person under 14.

Under the terms of a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed one count of attempted murder.

Myers attacked her daughter on Jan. 11 after taking the girl from the Portland home of a relative who had custody, according to court papers obtained by News 8.

The woman told police that Myers and her daughter were at her house when she “dozed off,” court papers say. When the woman woke up, Myers and the girl were gone.

Police searched the area for the pair but were eventually called back to the family member’s house on a report of a suicide attempt.

Court papers say a witness met police outside the house and told the officers, “Raven cut the baby’s wrists.”

Police went inside the home and found Myers and the little girl, who was wrapped up in a blanket in the older woman’s arms.

“Raven was sitting on the couch. Raven was exclaiming, ‘God told me to do it!’ over and over as she was crying,” a Portland police officer said in a statement to prosecutors.

After Myers was placed in restraints, the officer checked on the injured girl.

“I then went and checked on the baby more thoroughly and could see her left wrist had blood all over it and there was a deep cut all the way across it. Her right wrist had a shorter cut on it and it was deep as well,” the officer wrote.

Myers was taken into custody and charges were filed by the Jay County Prosecutor’s Office.

In a sentencing order, the Jay County judge recommended Myers be subject to a mental health assessment and receive treatment as indicated.

The little girl was expected to recover from her injuries.