A South Carolina woman whose 6-week-old daughter died of a morphine overdose from breast-feeding will serve 20 years in prison for her crimes.
A Spartanburg County court found Stephanie I. Greene, 39, guilty of homicide by child abuse, involuntary manslaughter and unlawful conduct toward a child on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.
Solicitor Barry Barnette told WYFF that the jury spent four days mulling the curious case concerning the Campobello woman and her daughter.
Authorities found Greene's daughter Alexis dead in her mother's bedroom in November 2010. Law enforcement officials reported at the time that the 39-year-old woman appeared disoriented and acted erratically in the presence of investigators. Coroner's office representatives sent to the scene of the crime said she slurred her speech, her eyes were unfocused and she couldn't walk properly.
During Thursday's trial, a pathologist confirmed a toxicology report showed high levels of morphine in the child's system - a lethal amount, even for an adult. Medical officials also found a slew of other drugs, including Klonopin, in the child's blood, liver and brain.
According to WYFF, Greene worked as a nurse in South Carolina. She reportedly didn't tell doctors that she was pregnant and breast-feeding so she could continue picking up prescriptions for drugs.
According to Barnette, who spoke to WYFF during an interview this week, Greene took morphine and other pills while she was pregnant and breast-feeding her 46-day-old daughter.
Greene has also been convicted in the past of unlawful conduct toward a child and attempt to obtain controlled substance by fraud.
The court sentenced Greene to 20 years on Friday morning.
