Mother takes plea deal for neglect, death of child
GREENFIELD, Ind. (WISH) – The mother of a one-year-old girl who died from neglect will take a plea deal in the case.
33-year-old Jessica Wagoner agreed to plead guilty to child neglect charges on Wednesday in the death of her one-year-old daughter Zoey who died last year after sustaining blunt force trauma injuries to her head and abdomen.
Prosecutors agreed to drop murder charges that she originally face, according to 24-Hour News 8’s partners at the Greenfield Report. Wagoner will plead guilty to four counts of neglect, two felonies related to Zoey’s death and injuries she suffered and two felonies for the endangerment of her two other children.
Wagoner could be sentenced to 37 years as part of the plea deal, but a judge will have the final say on March 2.
In May, Jessica Wagoner and her husband Matthew Wagoner were arrested for the death of Zoey. A jury found Matthew guilty of murder in January.
Wagoner faces up to 40 years for the neglect charge and up to 65 years for the murder charge. Prosecutors may try to get those sentences to be served consecutively. He will be formally sentenced on Feb. 24.
Matthew Wagoner also faces molestation charges in Henry County. His trial in that case is set to begin March 1.
