WARREN - The foster parent of a 21-month-old child who died in her care earlier this year pleaded guilty Thursday to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Bonnie Pattinson, 31, of Newton Falls, was first charged with murder in the April death of Tiffany Sue Banks. She entered her plea Thursday before Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge John Stuard.
She will be sentenced after a presentence investigation is completed. She faces up to 10 years in prison.
Assistant Prosecutor Diane Barber said murder would have been tough to prove had it gone to trial.
''I couldn't prove she intended to cause the death of Tiffany Sue Banks,'' Barber said.
Pattinson's lawyer, Anthony Consoldane, said his client decided to take the plea because she thought it was fair.
''I never thought it was a murder case to begin with,'' Consoldane said. ''She (Pattinson) was satisfied with (the plea) so I went along with it. I thought it was fair.''
Banks' grandmother, Loretta Banks, and uncle Herbert Putnam both said they were outraged with the plea deal, saying that the prosecutors office never consulted with them about making a plea.
Loretta Banks said the maximum sentence of 10 years is not nearly enough to pay for the life of her granddaughter.
''There's no way they can't prove murder?'' Banks said. ''There was only one person in the house with her getting beaten and suffocated.''
Putnam said he would rather the case went to trial even if the evidence is thin.
''I'd rather see her either go completely out or completely in,'' Putnam said.
Pattinson was indicted in September by a Trumbull County grand jury on charges of murder and felonious assault in Banks' death.
On April 2, Pattinson reported finding Tiffany not breathing after checking on her while the girl was napping at their 663 Center St. W. duplex in Champion. Pattinson and her husband, William, since have moved to Newton Falls.
Pattinson ran next door, a neighbor performed CPR and police were called, according to police reports.
Officer said the toddler was unresponsive and blue with marks on her body. The marks were not caused by medical treatment and intervention during the call, police reports state.
Banks died as a result of asphyxiation associated with multiple blunt traumatic injuries, according to her death certificate.
The county Children Services Board had taken custody of Tiffany, who would have been 2 June 27, at birth, declaring her mother, Felicia, unfit. Felicia Banks, Loretta Banks, and Tiffany's father, Tommy Cross, visited the baby weekly until Felicia formally lost custody in November.
They previously said she always seemed healthy. But they were concerned at Banks' funeral when they saw bruises and marks on her body.
The baby's death was ruled a homicide in late July.
In court, Barber told Stuard that there was evidence that marks on the baby's neck matched rings that Pattinson was wearing at the time Banks was killed.
Marcia Tiger of the county Children Services Board was in court for the plea. She said she is glad the case is nearing a conclusion but that no resolution can change the fact that Banks is dead.
''No verdict or plea will bring back a 2-year-old girl that was killed,'' Tiger said.
Consoldane had asked Stuard to reduce Pattinson's bond while awaiting sentencing, but Barber objected, saying that bond is not appropriate because a child was killed. Stuard denied Consoldane's request for the reduced bond.