Woman sentenced to 75 days in jail for second toddler drowning

A North Carolina women who was on probation in the drowning death of a toddler she was babysitting has been sentenced to 75 days in jail for the drowning death of her 19-month-old daughter.Amanda Reed was convicted Monday of misdemeanor child abuse and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. Reed’s daughter, Mercadiez, drowned in a swimming pool at their home in May 2013.Reed had also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, but was found not guilty.At the time of her daughter’s death, Reed was on probation for an involuntary manslaughter conviction in the 2010 death of 19-month-old Sadie Gates. Reed was babysitting the toddler when the child wandered into a ditch on Reed's property and drowned. Investigators said Reed admitted to smoking marijuana before Sadie's parents dropped the toddler off Reed's home. Defense attorney Matthew Coxe said he thinks the current case was pursued only because of the prior conviction.

A North Carolina women who was on probation in the drowning death of a toddler she was babysitting has been sentenced to 75 days in jail for the drowning death of her 19-month-old daughter.

Amanda Reed was convicted Monday of misdemeanor child abuse and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. Reed’s daughter, Mercadiez, drowned in a swimming pool at their home in May 2013.


Reed had also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, but was found not guilty.

At the time of her daughter’s death, Reed was on probation for an involuntary manslaughter conviction in the 2010 death of 19-month-old Sadie Gates. Reed was babysitting the toddler when the child wandered into a ditch on Reed's property and drowned. Investigators said Reed admitted to smoking marijuana before Sadie's parents dropped the toddler off Reed's home.

Defense attorney Matthew Coxe said he thinks the current case was pursued only because of the prior conviction.