Woman charged with murder, feticide in baby's death pleads guilty to misdemeanor in plea deal

8/2/2013
ASSOCIATED PRESS

INDIANAPOLIS — A woman charged with killing her child by eating rat poison while she was pregnant has pleaded guilty to criminal recklessness as part of a deal reached with prosecutors.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press that 36-year-old Bei Bei Shuai pleaded guilty today to criminal recklessness and was sentenced to time served, which was 178 days. Charges of murder and feticide were dropped.

Curry says he decided to accept the lesser charge because a number of evidentiary rulings by the court had hurt the prosecution’s case. He says he decided to accept the lesser charge rather than to appeal those decisions.

A message was left at the office of Shuai’s attorney, Linda Pence, seeking comment.