Muncie woman charged in mother's death

MUNCIE – A Muncie woman has been charged with reckless homicide in the drug-related death of her mother.

Amanda Kay Pratt, 31, 2014 S. Mulberry St., was charged last week with a Level 5 felony, carrying up to six years in prison.

The charging document filed by the Delaware County prosecutor's office alleges Pratt "did recklessly kill another human being" — Penny K. Kerr, who died at age 54 on Feb. 7.

That document provided no other details. Muncie police conducted an investigation in the wake of Kerr's death that apparently focused in part on allegations she had been injected with Diluadid, a narcotic pain-killer, shortly before she died.

However, Delaware County Coroner Scott Hahn determined that Kerr died as a result of "acute methamphetamine poisoning."

The coroner ruled that the death was the result of an accident.

Pratt will receive a summons to appear at an initial hearing in Delaware Circuit Court 1 on May 20.

The Muncie woman was arrested three days after her mother's death — on a preliminary charge of visiting a common nuisance — after members of the Muncie Police Department's narcotics unit and SWAT team raided a house at 1621 S. Elm St.

Police said they found meth, materials used to "cook" meth and a prescription medication in that house.

Contact news reporter Douglas Walker at (765) 213-5851. You can also follow him on Twitter @DouglasWalkerSP.