‘I feel the guilt of this every day.’ Centre County parents sentenced after death of newborn
Two Centre County parents who did not seek medical care for their newborn who was fatally injured were sentenced Monday to at least two years in state prison.
Ciara Steffey, 22, and Tyler Baney, 26, were intoxicated the night their 2-month-old son died, State College police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
Steffey and Baney told officers their son fell to the ground headfirst from the couch. They discussed taking him to a hospital, but “decided against it,” police wrote.
An autopsy revealed the child had rib fractures, an “extensive” subdural hemorrhage and multiple hemorrhages around his eyes, police wrote. He died of blunt force trauma to the head, a forensic pathologist wrote.
“Somehow I thought I was a good mom, but now I see that I wasn’t,” Steffey told Centre County Judge Brian Marshall. “... I feel the guilt of this every day.”
Steffey, of Pleasant Gap, pleaded no contest in August to one felony count each of endangering the welfare of a child and involuntary manslaughter. One misdemeanor count of recklessly endangering another person was dropped.
The plea meant she accepted the convictions, but did not expressly admit she committed the crimes.
Marshall sentenced her to 32-72 months in state prison. She’s scheduled to report Nov. 26.
“I’m broken inside, and I always will be. ... I just want to go back,” Steffey said tearfully. “... This is the worst of the worst to go through.”
Baney, of Julian, pleaded guilty in August to one felony count each of endangering the welfare of a child and involuntary manslaughter. One misdemeanor count of recklessly endangering another person was dropped.
He was sentenced to 28-60 months in state prison. He received credit for about five months already served and is also scheduled to report Nov. 26.
“I’m sorry for everything,” Baney told Marshall before the sentence was handed down. “I made a mistake and if I could fix it, I would.”