NYC Woman Gets 10 Years for Killing Son

[Phlegm]

It kind of fucked up that she gets more time for larceny and fraud than for killing her son.


From Associated Press:

(AP) A mother of six, convicted of killing her toddler son and collecting his welfare benefits, was sentenced Wednesday to up to 10 years in prison.

Diatra Hester-Bey, 35, was ordered to serve 15 months to four years on her conviction for criminally negligent homicide. She was given two to six years in prison for grand larceny and welfare fraud.

The sentences will be served consecutively.

Hester-Bey was convicted last month of killing 14-month-old Devon Rivers, her youngest child, six years ago.

Prosecutor Andrew Seewald said the woman smothered her son with a pillow while he flailed desperately to survive. He said that after she killed the boy she dumped his body in the trash.

Seewald said Hester-Bey then collected $3,624 in welfare benefits on behalf of the boy over the next four years.

He said she also signed documents that allowed her boyfriend to illegally collect more than $30,000.

Hester-Bey's lawyer, Marie Scavetta, said the money her client received illegally went for the care of her surviving five children.

Hester-Bey was arrested in 2004 after she called police to report that her married boyfriend had assaulted her. When police questioned the boyfriend, he said Hester-Bey had told him she killed Devon.

The other five children were taken into custody by the city's child welfare agency.