Waukegan woman rejects plea deal in death of infant
A Waukegan woman charged with killing a 3-month-old child from Wisconsin rejected a final plea deal Friday that could have put her behind bars for a maximum of 30 years.
Sarah Gumm, 36, of the 1100 block of Bob O'Farrell Lane, said she would not accept the negotiated deal with prosecutors that would have capped her prison time in exchange for a guilty plea to one count of first-degree murder for allegedly killing Rylan Aislee Koopmeiners of Kenosha.
Gumm can now be sentenced to life behind bars if found guilty on the most serious of the 14 first-degree murder charges at trial Nov. 30, defense attorney Greg Nikitas said. She also faces two counts of aggravated battery of a child, where the minimum sentence she could receive is six years.
Assistant State's Attorney Eric Kalata immediately pulled all settlement offers from the table after Gumm rejected the deal in front of Judge Victoria Rossetti.
Gumm pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of first-degree murder and aggravated battery for the death of Koopmeiners in August 2012, authorities said.
Paramedics were called to the Gumm home in the afternoon of July 27, 2012, for an unresponsive baby girl. Paramedics took the child to Vista East Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead about 5 p.m.
An autopsy concluded the infant died blunt force trauma, had a skull fracture and cranial hemorrhaging, authorities said.
Gumm, who cared for the child in her Waukegan home for six weeks before the infant's death, claimed she was changing the baby's diaper when the little girl began fussing, authorities said. Gumm told police she got flustered and the baby's head hit a table when she put the infant down, authorities say.
Authorities added Gumm left the baby at home alone on two occasions on the day of the infant's death.
Gumm provided a voluntary statement admitting her actions were responsible for the injury to the child, police said.
She has remained in Lake County jail on $3 million bail since her arrest.
Both sides are due back in court Nov. 16 for final motions before trial.