BEDFORD COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) - A Pennsylvania woman has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for the murder of her boyfriend's young son, who was found with baby wipes lodged in his throat.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's office said Chelsea Cooley, 33, pleaded guilty to the 3-year-old boy's 2022 murder. The boy was found unresponsive in May of 2022 and died from strangulation and asphyxia.
A neighbor had reported hearing a female voice yelling "shut up" around the time police believe the child sustained the injuries.
Cooley delayed calling 911 and was hesitant to help the child as instructed by dispatchers, according to the attorney general's office.
“The facts of this case are horrific,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “This defendant was responsible for caring for this child, and instead she did the unthinkable. She brutally murdered him, a defenseless and innocent 3-year-old child. This defendant’s actions are devastating to the child’s loved ones, but we hope today’s admission and sentence offer a measure of justice.”
Cooley pleaded guilty to third-degree murder as well as felony counts of strangulation and endangering the welfare of a child.