Sentence Cut For Woman Who Let Newborn Die

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A state appeals court is reducing the prison sentence of a woman convicted of letting her newborn son die.<br/><br/>Carla Quillen was convicted in December 2004 of second-degree murder

Friday, June 15th 2007, 1:33 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A state appeals court is reducing the prison sentence of a woman convicted of letting her newborn son die.

Carla Quillen was convicted in December 2004 of second-degree murder and unlawful removal of the dead for not getting medical attention for the baby and for burying it in a shallow grave.

She was sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison.

The state Court of Criminal Appeals Friday reduced the murder conviction to child neglect and reduced the sentence from 25 to 15 years. The court also reduced the sentence for unlawfully removing the body from 20 years to ten.

The court then ordered the sentences to be served together meaning she has 15 years to serve.

Quillen testified at trial that she gave birth at a friend's house and didn't call for medical help because she was addicted to cocaine and feared the state would take the baby.