By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – An appeals court says its enough that a 25-year-old Centralia woman used a kitchen knife to end the life of her severely premature infant after she gave birth, and the fact it did or didn’t have drugs in its system won’t change her 30-year-sentence.
Laura Lynn Hickey
Laura Lynn Hickey pleaded guilty to second-degree murder almost three years ago, in Lewis County Superior Court and was sent off to prison. She’s back in the Lewis County Jail for an expected hearing on an issue that stems from the October decision from the Washington State Court of Appeals.
It was an early March morning in 2011; neighbors had phoned 911 after hearing calls for help coming from Hickey’s home at the Peppertree Motor Inn and RV Park on Alder Street. She was taken to the hospital where at first she said she’d had a miscarriage, and then police found the decapitated newborn in a Tupperware container under the kitchen sink of her fifth-wheel trailer.
At sentencing, Hickey’ lawyer asked the judge to give his client about 12 years in prison, for what she viewed as a mercy killing when her approximately 21-weeks-along fetus was unexpectedly delivered into a toilet. Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer recommended 80 years, saying it was a crime so heinous, she should lose the ability to “walk among us.”
Attorneys disagreed if the infant boy was far enough along he could have survived outside the womb.
Because Hickey not only admitted guilt, but stipulated to an aggravating factor the victim was particularly vulnerable, the judge could have imposed a sentence all the way up to life in prison. The standard sentencing range for the crime was between about 12 years to 20 years.
At the time, the woman apologized, cried and told the judge said she would accept whatever sentence he gave her. But her appeal attorney appealed the exceptional sentence.
Her lawyer contended the trial court violated Hickey’s Sixth Amendment rights as articulated in Blakely v. Washington, by making findings the victim was particularly vulnerable not only because of age, but because of drug intoxication
The three-member panel concluded in its Oct. 10 decision that Judge Nelson Hunt’s finding was incorrect, and sent the case back to Lewis County so the reference to methamphetamine intoxication could be struck from the findings.
The appeals court however, affirmed the exceptional sentence of 30 years.
One of the reports submitted to Lewis County Superior Court, from a psychologist, noted both Hickey and the victim had significant amounts of methamphetamine in their blood stream at the time of the offense. Another, from the autopsy stated the infant suffered from acute methamphetamine intoxication.
Neither Hickey’s appeals attorney or the appeals court suggest the information is untrue, only that it should not have been considered at sentencing.
Prosecutor Meyer indicates Hickey is scheduled to go before a judge at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, although the actual hearing may take place at a later day.
•••
For background, read:
• “Centralia woman gets 30 years for decapitating premature infant” from Wednesday February 22, 2012, here
• “Laura Hickey pleads guilty to killing her premature infant” from Tuesday February 7, 2012, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Yet another scumbag that can’t/won’t be rehabilitated, the tax payers of Washington st will waste hundreds of thousands of dollars on this oxygen thief…..
While I absolutely DO NOT condone this person’s behavior, I have to wonder about the outcry. A late term abortion is 18-24 weeks, which this baby was within at 21 weeks. How many people that are upset at this “monster” could have stopped someone at the local clinic in town from doing the same thing?
If Hickey was successful in her self-abortion, would the outcry be the same?
Why is it that doctors can inject a womb with poison to kill a baby three weeks farther along than this one – or stick a knife in the back of the baby’s head while breach born – yet this woman “should lose the ability to “walk among us.””?
I fail to see the difference. Murder is murder, whether by doctor or parent or boyfriend or xyz.
I do find it crazy that the man that raped and killed his girlfriend’s baby got off for less than this woman did. This child didn’t have to live through the torture that the baby girl did, or that boy recently killed by the beatings of his “caregivers”. Should be interesting to see how that case plays out as well.
THIS PIECE OF SHIT SHOULD OF GOT DEATH PENALTY–MAYBE IN PRISON,SOMEONE WILL RID US OF HER!!
What if the baby had lived, it would have enjoyed many years of misery at the hands of its drug addict mother. I’m not saying that killing a premature baby is right, but which is the lesser of two evils?
Do you really think God will not mete out justice to this woman? Just because people do horrible things doesn’t mean they aren’t noticed. We’ve ALL got some ‘splainin’ to do: Me, you and especially Laura Lynn Hickey.
I’m a firm believer in “An eye for an eye”. Firstly, both of her murderous hands should have been removed with the same exact blade which was used to commit this heinous act on her defenseless child. Secondly, she should be made to have to serve out every last second of her sentence which was imposed by the court. Lastly, after her sentence imposed has been fully served……. she should get the guillotine.
This is soooo wrong is so many ways… That baby could have had a good life if it was brought to the hospital immediately after being born and was taken from its mom! She deserves to be in there for the rest of her life! That’s so messed up…
There is no “God”, if there were then despicable acts such as these would never happen….
This is the ultimate in child abuse. My only solace is that this poor child is now with God and can no longer be mistreated by such a selfish person.
30 years is not enough. There is not works to express the disgust I feel for this “person”. She should serve every single day of this sentence and I hope her actions haunt her every day.
Damn, they play the drug card about as heavily as the color card in Ferguson!!
So if the baby was not viable…it was alive when she chopped off its head. “mercy killing” please..can you imagine the pain that baby felt as….I can’t even finish the comment. Keep her right where she is. Another “the drugs made me do it”