ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) - A judge has ordered a 100-year prison sentence cut in half for a woman who killed a 3-year-old girl in her care, and now the girl’s family wants the judge to explain why.

District Judge Edward Jacobson on Thursday ordered Rochelle Sapp’s two 50-year prison sentences to be served at the same time, the Sioux City Journal reported (https://bit.ly/1jL2wIp ). That effectively halves the sentence he pronounced in October 2014, when he ordered the 50-year sentences be served one after the other.

Sapp, 35, of Orange City, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment resulting in the death of Autumn Elgersma. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a first-degree murder charge against her. As part of the deal, Sapp agreed to the back-to-back 50-year sentences and agreed not to ask a judge to reconsider her sentence.

But the judge said he reconsidered the sentence by his own choice, saying he believed doing so was in the interest of justice.

Iowa law allows judges to reconsider a sentence within one year of sentencing.

“(T)he court has considered that defendant had no prior record of any kind, that she has been a model prisoner and is a teacher at the school while in prison,” Jacobson wrote in the resentencing order. “The court has spoken with her counselor, and she has had absolutely no issues of any kind during the nearly one year that she has been incarcerated.”

The girl’s parents, Jennifer and Philip Elgersma of Orange City, said they hope Jacobson will tell them why he reconsidered the sentence in a face-to-face meeting.

“I am deeply disappointed in Judge Jacobson’s order, especially given that Rochelle has shown no remorse whatsoever and accepted no responsibility,” Jennifer Elgersma said.

Sapp originally told the Elgersmas and investigators that Autumn had fallen down the stairs. She later admitted to a detective that she slammed the toddler to the ground after becoming angry because the girl was having trouble taking off her coat. Prosecutors said Sapp had been physically abusing the girl for months before her death.

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Information from: Sioux City Journal, https://www.siouxcityjournal.com

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