A Ferndale mother has pleaded no contest to first-degree child abuse in the death of her 14-year-old special-needs daughter, who suffered fatal head injuries last summer.
Vangie Averhart, 37, entered the plea today in Wayne County court and now faces up to life in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7. The plea agreement resolves a pending felony murder charge that had been filed in connection with the case.
Averhart’s no-contest plea to first-degree child abuse was entered in circuit court today, according to The Detroit News. Prosecutors dismissed the felony murder count as part of the agreement, leaving sentencing as the next step.
Autopsy And Testimony Point To Blunt-Force Injuries
Medical testimony during earlier hearings indicated the teen did not choke but died after massive intracranial bleeding from blunt-force trauma to the back of her head. Doctors removed part of her skull to relieve swelling, as reported by ClickOnDetroit…