Mother pleads "guilty but mentally ill" for starving her disabled teen daughter
MASON, Mich. – An Onondaga woman, accused of abusing and murdering her daughter in November of 2015, pleaded “guilty but mentally ill” to second degree murder, reports CBS affiliate WLNS.
Medical examiners say Cari Wright’s 16-year old daughter, Hanna Warner, died from malnutrition and other complications of neglect.
The Lansing State Journal reports that Warner was born with disabilities which left her bedridden and unable to communicate. According to the newspaper, Wright admitted that she didn’t feed her daughter for “a couple of weeks” and failed to get the teen help as she starved to death.
The newspaper reports that Warner weighed 43 pounds at the time of her death and had large, open sores on her body.
Wright now faces up to 40 years in prison when she’s sentenced next month.
A mental health expert testified in court that Wright was “ill” at the time.