A Louisiana mother who confessed to poisoning her disabled toddler with hand sanitizer and perfume as a so-called mercy killing will spend 40 years behind bars.
A judge sentenced Erica Wigstrom, 20, to the maximum sentence Tuesday after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 17-month-old
Lucas Ruiz's death.
Wigstrom's sentencing does not include the possibility of probation.
The Bell Chasse mom's sentence follows her being indicted for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder after little Lucas was found with a blood-alcohol level of .280 — more than three times the state's legal driving limit — when he died in Jan., 2014.
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The child's father, Cesar Ruiz, also told police that he fed the baby rum but defended that they didn't want him to suffer anymore, authorities said.
His confession was later found having holes in it, however, leading authorities to reduce his charges after finding that he gave false information, likely to defend Wigstrom, according to the Times Picayune.
His charge of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile was eventually reduced to criminal mischief, a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail.
He ended up spending more than a year in jail before his family posted his bond. Upon his release he was ordered to pay $850 in fines and fees.