Mother Sentenced To Life In Prison For Deliberately Driving Car Into River And Killing Her Daughter
A 26-year-old Missouri woman was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for intentionally driving her car wither her two kids into the Kansas River, killing her 5-year-old daughter.
Scharron Dingledine will be eligible for parole after 25 years, reported KSHB-TV.
The killing occurred on Aug. 3, 2018, when Dingledine put her 5-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son in the car and drove into the Kansas River in an attempted murder-suicide. After the crash, officers rescued Dingledine and her 1-year-old son, who was treated for critical injuries at a hospital.
Police were unable to find Dingledine’s 5-year-old daughter, Amiyah Bradley. The next day, a search team went to the river and retrieved Amiyah’s body.
Dingledine pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in December.
According to Dingledine’s attorney, the mother of two was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression six months after her son was born.
The day of the river incident, Dingledine was involved in a physical altercation with her boyfriend, who is also the father of her 1-year-old son. She then went to a placement shelter, but was told only her daughter could join her.
In her manic state, Dingledine took both of her children on a drive around Lawrence, Missouri. At one point, her children were playing near the Kansas River when Dingledine became obsessed with the idea of driving into the river. She even drove by a police station to get help, but she didn't end up going inside.
Dingledine was found competent in August to stand trial.