A 48-year-old woman from Georgia, who used to run a daycare from her home and tragically left a 4-month-old baby face down in a Pack ‘n Play, leading to fatal consequences, appeared in court on Friday. She admitted her guilt and was sentenced to serve three decades in prison.
In court documents checked by Law&Crime, Amanda Harris Hickey, who's 48 years old, entered a plea admitting second-degree murder, resulting in a 35-year prison sentence. She'll spend 30 years behind bars and five years on probation.
The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office stated that Hickey pleaded guilty on September 22 to seven counts of first-degree cruelty to children, seven counts of reckless conduct, three counts of simple battery, and one count of second-degree cruelty to children.
In court, Hickey expressed "extreme sorrow" for the death of Charles “Charlie” Arrison Cronmiller and the mistreatment of other children in her care. She acknowledged that this would be her legacy.
DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson delivered the sentence.
Hickey owned Little Lovey Daycare in Dunwoody on February 3, 2021. That day, police and firefighters in Dekalb County responded to a call about an unresponsive baby. The police arrived quickly but couldn't save Charlie Cronmiller, who was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Charlie's parents, Stephanie and Eric Cronmiller, had entrusted their first-born son to Hickey's daycare so Stephanie could return to work. Tragically, Charlie was placed to nap facedown, against medical recommendations, and was left unattended for over two hours before being found unresponsive.
Hickey faced charges of second-degree murder, reckless conduct, and cruelty to children (nine counts) due to the 4-month-old boy's death and other incidents of abuse.
In one incident, she allegedly held a 7-month-old baby upside-down and dropped him on his head into a Pack 'n Play. Next, she reportedly grabbed a 10-month-old by the baby's arm and similarly dropped the infant.
In a third incident, Hickey allegedly pulled a 14-month-old girl into a playpen by her hair. In a fourth incident, she allegedly shook a 6-month-old twice and left the baby crying in a bouncer under a blanket.
Hickey initially claimed that she put the baby on his back and he rolled over on his own, but a video presented in court showed the baby was left in the Pack 'n Play for two hours, leading to her tears.
Hickey's lawyers tried to argue that she wasn't informed of her Miranda rights and her right to refuse to provide the surveillance footage, which turned out to be incriminating.
DeKalb County DA Sherry Boston said, "Today’s plea and sentencing put to rest what has been a painful chapter for the families who once trusted Amanda Hickey to watch over what they hold most dear, their children."
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