Duplin County woman pleads guilty in toddler's death

A Duplin County mother of five pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder in the November 2007 shaking death of her 21-month-old daughter.

Cynthia Chestnutt was sentenced to 15 to 19½ years in prison by Superior Court Judge Allen Cobb Jr. of Wilmington.

"With this plea of guilty, the defendant will serve a substantial sentence in the North Carolina Department of Correction," said Dewey Hudson, the district attorney for the 4th Prosecutorial District, which includes Onslow and Duplin counties.

Chestnutt received a total of 155 to 195 months for the murder charge and 25 to 39 months for a charge of felony child abuse inflicting serious injury. The sentences will run back to back for a total of 15 to 19½ years.

Prosecutors say 21-month-old Janae Moore was not breathing when Duplin Sheriff's Deputies and volunteer firefighters responded to a call at 244 Gold Pond Road in Magnolia on Nov. 17, 2007.

Emergency workers transported Moore to Duplin General Hospital where she was airlifted to Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville. She died the next day.

Three of Chestnutt's other children are with Chestnutt's mother and the fourth is with the father, court officials said.

Duplin Sheriff's Detective Andrew Hanchey opened an investigation. Chestnutt told authorities several contradictory stories about how her daughter was hurt. She finally said she was playing with her daughter and threw her on a couch and the girl bounced off hitting the floor, according to prosecutors.

On Dec. 4, 2007, Duplin Sheriff's investigators met with Chief Assistant District Attorney Ernie Lee who spoke with Dr. Joseph P. Pestaner, a pathologist at PMH.

"It was determined that the injuries sustained by the child were consistent with the child being shaken and suffering abusive head injuries that would have required more force than admitted by Chestnutt," Lee said Monday in a press release.

Hudson said he appreciated the thorough investigation carried out by the Duplin County Sheriff's Department and the cooperation of medical examiners in the case.

Contact crime reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8456. Read Lindell's blog at http://onslowcrime.encblogs.com.