Woman sentenced to 6 years in prison for toddler death

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) — A Lebanon woman was sentenced to more than six years in prison on Thursday for killing a toddler in her care.

Amber Marie Scott, 22, was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter at the conclusion of her jury trial at the Linn County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, The Albany Democrat-Herald reported.

Asher Benjamin Carter had just turned 1 days before his death in 2019.

During the sentencing hearing in Linn County Circuit Court, Carter’s relatives spoke about how the death devastated their family and the aftermath was a “nightmare."

On Feb. 19, 2019, Scott, who wanted to go back to bed, tried to get the crying boy back to sleep by pressing his face into her chest for five minutes, smothering him, according to prosecutor Ryan Lucke.

Carter was hospitalized in cardiac arrest that day, and was taken off life support at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland on Feb. 24.

Scott was initially charged with first-degree manslaughter, but found guilty of the lesser crime.

Scott declined comment in court. Defense attorney Kent Hickam said his client thought that anything she said could be misconstrued so it was best to remain silent. Hickam said he would appeal the case.