Maine Woman Sentenced For Suffocating Toddler

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A Maine woman was sentenced to 37 years in prison on Thursday for killing her 2-year-old daughter by giving her allergy medicine and then covering her mouth and nose with duct tape and a blanket.

Leanna Norris, 25, of Auburn, sobbed in a Bangor courtroom as she apologized and said she wished she'd sought help. Norris admitted to investigators that she gave her daughter, Loh Melody Grenda, a high dose of allergy medicine to help her sleep, then suffocated her. The body was found in June 2013 in a car in Stetson.

Superior Court Justice Ann Murray, who sentenced Norris, previously rejected her insanity defense and found her guilty. Norris asked to be tried without a jury.

The defense sought a prison sentence of 25 years, which Loh's father called "a joke."

Witnesses testified that Norris suffered from mental health problems including depression. She told the judge that she didn't set out to kill her daughter, but the prosecutor said it was premeditated.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.