Judge Finds Indianapolis Mother Who Admitted To Smothering Her 2-Month-Old Baby To Death While High On Meth Not Guilty

An Indianapolis mother was found not guilty of the death of her 2-month-old daughter. According to 13WTHR, Dacia Lacey was reportedly sleepy and high on methamphetamine when she smothered her baby to death. Police officers believe that Lacey smothered her daughter because she wouldn’t stop crying.

Judge Mark Stoner who oversaw Lacey’s case said there was no physical evidence that showed neglect of a dependent, such as broken bones, injuries that have not healed over a long period of time or signs of abuse, according to the report. The judge believed she was guilty of involuntary manslaughter, but because she wasn’t charged with that crime he instead found her not guilty. “You’re not innocent, but you’re not guilty of what the state has charged you with,” Judge Mark Stoner said.

“This is a case that happens when you’re a bad parent. There are some things you can never do. You can never have sole possession of your children and go out and use drugs,” Stoner said. He also pointed to the fact that the prosecution charged her with the wrong crime. “Not everything that’s a mistake or everything that is wrong is criminal,” Stoner said. “Something has to be done with criminal intent, criminal responsibility, and that’s what the defendant is charged with. When the state chooses to charge an individual, they must prove they did something with criminal intent. Poor parenting, by definition, is not criminal.”

“It’s important to understand that the prosecutor chooses the charges. It’s the prosecutor that’s elected. The prosecutor has a screening division to make decisions as to what should be charged,” Stoner continued.

The lead detective on the case, Jamie Davis, spoke during day 2 of the trial and explained how Lacey told multiple stories about happened to her daughter before finally confessing.

“She was actually sitting in my lap and crying on my shoulder, and had said that she did her baby wrong and said that she had smothered her baby,” Davis said. “Basically, she said that she was high, and she was tired, and Alona had been crying. Ultimately, she ended up picking up Alona and facing her towards the crease in the couch. So, if you have the back of the couch and then the seating area, she placed her faced toward the crease.”

Lacey was facing 20-40 years in prison but after this shocking verdict she is now a free woman.

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