A mother has been sentenced for causing the death of her two daughters after she left them inside a car in sweltering weather while she gambled at a casino in North Carolina, America.
Launice Shanique Battle, 31, was sentenced on Thursday after she pleaded guilty to the murder of her daughters, Trinity Milbourne, two, and Amora, three. The girls died of hyperthermia, which occurs when the body is exposed to extremely high temperatures.
Law and Crime News reported that Battle will serve a sentence of a little over seven years, with a possibility of up to 10 and a half years.
The publication reported that Battle was initially charged with two counts of felony murder, facing over 80 years in prison.
However, she reached a plea deal with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The judge determined that her guilty plea demonstrated her acceptance of responsibility for her actions, warranting a lesser sentence.
