Woman gets 25 to life for killing boyfriend's 3-year-old
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — A New York woman has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fatally beating her boyfriend's 3-year-old daughter and preventing others from seeking medical care for her.
A judge in Rochester sentenced 25-year-old Erica Bell on Wednesday morning for second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. Bell didn't speak in court.
Prosecutors say Bell punched Brook Stagles in the stomach three times last November. The girl later died in the hospital of a systemic infection from a burst intestine.
Testimony at trial alleged Bell beat the child for coming into the room when she was shooting heroin. Bell claimed Brook's father, Michael Stagles, beat the child.