A Maryland mother who pushed her toddler son on a playground swing for almost two days until he died will not face any time in jail or a mental institution after taking a plea deal on Monday.
Romechia Simms was indicted for manslaughter and child abuse, but entered a plea for a lesser charge and avoided being criminally responsible for her 3-year-old son’s death.
Simms, 25, will not be guilty for her involuntary manslaughter charge, but admits that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict her after she was found pushing Ji’Aire Lee’s corpse on a swing at a Maryland park last May.
A court-appointed psychologist ruled that the mother was schizophrenic, but not dangerous, WUSA9 reported.
The young child died of dehydration and hypothermia on May 22, 2015 after spending a grueling 43 and a half hours on a swing set with the unstable mother, the Charles County Sheriff’s office said.
She had heard voices when she started pushing him telling her not to stop because "somebody will come."
Simms, whose family said she suffered from depression and bipolar disorder, was hospitalized for four days after police found her and the dead child on the swing.
Simms’ mother said she suffered a psychotic episode between May 20 and May 22, and did not know her child died in between the two days.
Just two months before the tragic death, the boy’s father, James (Donnell) Lee was seeking custody of his son after concerns about Simms’ mental health.
This is why mental health wellness is so important. People have to be able to get the help they need, so things like this do not happen. She should be institutionalized. Jail will do nothing but harm for someone with such a debilitating illness like schizophrenia
I think some of you realise that having mental conditions is no reason somebody should automatically go to prison - she should however go to a secure unit and get help.
She should be in a mental institution That's sad don't they check out child's environment if the father was trying to gain custody? I bet he told them she'd be dangerous.
how...
