Shakara Dickens, 21, was sentenced Friday to 19 years in prison with no parole.MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A young mother has admitted in Memphis that she smothered her 9-month-old baby and discarded her in a trash bin.
According to The Commercial Appeal, 21-year-old Shakara Dickens made the admission Friday for the first time in an agreement with prosecutors.
She was sentenced to 19 years in prison with no parole.
Dickens said she smothered baby Lauryn on Sept. 7, 2010, in her apartment by placing her hand over the baby's mouth and nose to stop her from crying.
She first reported to police that the baby was missing.
She was facing more than 50 years in prison for her second-degree murder conviction before the agreement was reached.
Defense attorneys said it was the hardest case they've ever handled.
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