Foster mother receives suspended sentence in infant's death

Monday, December 13th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- A foster mother received a two-year suspended sentence Monday for the death of an infant who was left in a hot car. Darla June Smith, 28, previously pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the Aug. 15 death of 7-week-old Samuel Jackson Jr.

The baby died at a Tulsa hospital five days after the Broken Arrow foster mother left him in the car on a hot summer day. The temperature was 96 degrees in Broken Arrow at the time and could have reached 130 degrees in the car, police indicated. The manslaughter charge alleged "culpable negligence" by Ms. Smith and maintained that the boy was left in the closed car for about 30 minutes.