Amanda Harris Hickey, a former Dunwoody daycare provider, pleaded guilty to the tragic incident of leaving a four-month-old baby face down in a Pack ‘n Play for a nap on the afternoon of February 3, 2021, resulting in a fatal outcome. On Friday, October 12, the 48-year-old woman, who owns Little Lovey Daycare, admitted her guilt on nine charges and was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in this case, as reported by Law and Crime.
Hickey entered an Alford plea for second-degree murder related to the boy’s death and guilty pleas for two first-degree cruelty to children charges stemming from the infant’s death and other instances of child abuse at the daycare. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison, followed by five years on probation.
Video evidence contradicts Hickey’s claims
Despite Hickey’s claim that she had put the baby on his back in line with her training, video evidence contradicted her statement, showing that she had placed the child face down. The child was left unattended for over two hours before being discovered.
On February 3, 2021, an emergency call reported an unresponsive baby. Police and firefighters in Dekalb County arrived within minutes and attempted resuscitation, but the infant was pronounced dead at the scene, as per the Dunwoody Police Department.
Hickey took ‘absolute responsibility’ for that day
While watching the video footage of the baby in her daycare in court on Friday, Hickey said, “The person in those videos is me. That’s not who I am, but I take absolute and responsibility for my actions that day and my conduct that day.”
“Today’s plea and sentencing put to rest what has been a painful chapter for the families who once trusted Amanda Hickey to watch over what they hold most dear, their children,” said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston in court, as per Fox 5. “While her decision to plead guilty to her crimes will not undo the harm she inflicted, it does spare these families the pain of re-living their worst days at trial.”