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Waukegan woman pleads guilty to killing daughter

A Waukegan woman accused of killing her malnourished 11-year-old daughter with a punch to the stomach pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder in Lake County court Thursday.

Nicholette Lawrence now faces from 20 years to life in prison when she is sentenced by Judge James Booras on Jan. 12. She is required to serve 100 percent in prison for any sentence she receives before being eligible for parole.

Lawrence cried silently as Assistant State's Attorney Fred Day announced the plea deal. Lawrence was charged with 14 counts of first-degree murder for killing daughter Raasania Coley. The remaining charges were dropped in exchange for the plea deal.

Defense attorney Keith Grant did not comment after the negotiated settlement was approved in court.

Raasania was pronounced dead at a hospital Sept. 5, 2014 after Waukegan firefighters found her unresponsive about 9 p.m. at her Gillette Avenue home, authorities said. Coroner officials said the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the body, and that a hit to the stomach caused a rib to perforate the girl's stomach lining.

Lawrence told police she punched Raasania hard in the stomach two days before her death, authorities said. Raasania became bloated and was vomiting in the days before her death after being punched, officials said.

Authorities confiscated cellphone videos from Lawrence showing her using a belt to beat Raasania in the days or weeks before she died, authorities said. In addition, Lawrence admitted to hitting Raasania with an extension cord, and authorities found previous evidence of cigarette burns on the girl's body.

Raasania, who was home schooled, weighed 55 pounds at the time of her death. She suffering from mass malnutrition and had protruding ribs and wrists, authorities said.

Lawrence has been held in Lake County jail in lieu of $5 million bail since her arrest.

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