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Mother pleads guilty in connection with beating death of her son
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A Knoxville woman pleaded guilty this afternoon to involuntary manslaughter in the death of her 11-year-old son last year.
Cynthia McKee, 31, had left her son in the care of her live-in boyfriend, Anthony Bush, on Feb. 11, 2012, while she went to work that day.
When she returned home about 10 p.m. that night, her son, Donovan McKee, was lying naked on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. There was blood in his nose and mouth, and he was cold to the touch, said Deputy District Attorney Mark V. Tranquilli.
Police say the boy was beaten by Mr. Bush, 30, over a period of several hours that day. There was an oozing wound on his arm that investigators say the man tried to sew up with a needle and thread.
Ms. McKee waited an hour and 40 minutes before calling 911.
Donovan was pronounced dead at UPMC Mercy early the next morning.
The doctor who later performed an autopsy on Donovan said that seeking prompt medical attention could have had a "significant impact" on his well-being.
"The victim may have, in fact, survived this beating if treatment had not been delayed one hour 40 minutes by the defendant," Mr. Tranquilli said.
Allegheny County Common Pleas President Judge Donna Jo McDaniel ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for Ms. McKee for March 27.
The woman was allowed to remain out of custody and on home electronic monitoring until then. She is not permitted to have any contact with another son, who was 5 at the time.
Anthony Bush is scheduled to go to trial on homicide charges on Jan. 28.
First Published January 24, 2013 3:25 pm
