TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — A Terre Haute woman agreed to plead guilty Thursday to neglect in the dehydration death of her infant son after she removed his feeding tube .
Vigo Superior Court Judge Sarah Mullican took the plea agreement under advisement.
39-year-old Tabetha Smith would face a 16-year sentence if the plea is accepted.
Sentencing is set for June 17th.
Smith told police she removed her 3-month-old son’s feeding tube against doctors’ orders at least five days before her son died on March 12, 2018.
She told police the child was born with Down syndrome, unattached intestine, heart defects and other medical issues.
He was released from a hospital with a feeding tube, but Smith said she began bottle-feeding the baby due to “continued congestion” and thought he was “doing well” without the tube.