Thurston County mother sentenced for killing her baby in 2020
A Thurston County judge has sentenced a mother accused of killing her 3-month-old daughter to three years in prison.
Erin E. Hammonds, 43, pleaded guilty on Nov. 16 to one count of second-degree manslaughter. Thurston County Superior Court Judge James J. Dixon sentenced her on Monday, Jan. 31, ending a tragic case that began in February 2020.
Prosecutors initially charged Hammonds with first-degree murder, domestic violence; first-degree assault of a child, and domestic violence, second-degree assault of a child. The latter two chargers were dropped when she pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter.
After her prison sentence, Hammonds must be on probation for 18 months, according to Dixon’s sentence.
Sheriff deputies responded to Hammond’s apartment on Jan. 28, 2020. That day, she awoke to find her infant lying on her side with her face turned toward a pillow and not breathing, according to a probable cause statement.
Hammond then ran next door and screamed for her neighbor to call 911, per the statement. She attempted CPR as instructed by the 911 dispatcher but was unsuccessful.
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office later examined the baby and found evidence of “shaken baby” syndrome and fatal injury. After an interview, detectives arrested Hammonds on Feb. 5, 2020 and booked her into Thurston County jail.
Hammonds’ criminal history ranges from misdemeanor theft in 1999 to two fourth-degree assault, domestic violence charges in 2018, according to a pretrial report.
By pleading guilty to second-degree manslaughter, Hammonds took responsibility for causing the death of her infant with criminal negligence.
A second-degree murder charge would have indicated she killed her infant during a domestic violence assault.
Prosecutors recommended she be sentenced to 41 months in prison and 18 months of probation, according to court documents. However, Dixon opted for 36 months, which falls in the middle of the standard range.
Prior to her sentencing, Hammond’s attorneys had her evaluated by clinical and forensic psychologist Alexander L. Patterson, who then submitted a report to the court.
The report indicates Hammonds suffered a traumatizing childhood and abused substances as an adult to cope with her “persistent negative emotions.”
Since her arrest, the report says Hammonds has achieved sobriety and has shown “genuine remorse” for her actions.
