Ex-babysitter who struck infant 40 years ago pleads to manslaughter for his 2019 death
Criminal Justice
Ex-babysitter who hit infant 40 years ago pleads guilty to manslaughter in his 2019 death
August 22, 2024, 9:56 am CDT
Terry McKirchy, 62, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the 2019 death of a man she was accused of disabling as an infant 40 years ago. (Photo by Carline Jean/The South Florida Sun Sentinel via the Associated Press)
A former babysitter pleaded guilty to manslaughter Wednesday for the 2019 death of a 35-year-old man, saying in an apology letter she hit him when he was a baby 40 years ago. The Tampa Bay Times, CBS News and NBC Miami covered the plea.
The five-month-old suffered a brain haemorrhage. In a statement, Dowling’s parents said he “never crawled, fully rolled over, walked, never talked, never fed himself, he never enjoyed a hamburger or an ice cream cone, he could never tell us when he had an itch or anything hurt.”
McKirchy, who lives in Sugar Land, Texas, was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation. She was initially charged in 2021 with first-degree murder after an autopsy determined that the death was likely due to the 1984 injuries.
McKirchy had previously maintained that Dowling was injured when he fell off a couch. Prosecutors suspected shaken baby syndrome.
McKirchy was charged in 1984 with attempted murder and aggravated child abuse. She pleaded not guilty to a lesser offense and was sentenced to 60 days of jail in 1985, to be served over weekends. She was also sentenced to three years probation.
