A South Carolina woman was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison Friday after killing her baby with a lethal breastfeeding overdose.
Stephanie Greene, 39, was found guilty of homicide by child abuse after her 6-week-old baby died of a morphine overdose delivered through her breast milk. Greene is the first mother to be prosecuted for killing her child through a substance in her breast milk.
Greene’s 6-week-old baby Alexis was found dead in her parents’ bed after 46 days in November 2010. An autopsy conducted on the baby revealed high doses of morphine in the baby’s system- a dose lethal even to an adult. Authorities found no needle marks on the child which led them to believe the drug was given through the mother’s breast milk.
Prosecutor Barry Barnette said Greene, a former nurse, knew how to work the medical system. ”She caused the loss of that child,” the prosecutor said.
A review of medical records show that Greene told her primary care doctor she needed a referral to a gynecologist for birth control. She neglected to provide a list of the painkillers she was prescribed while receiving prenatal care by her OB/GYN doctor . In addition, she hid her unexpected pregnancy from her primary care doctor, who continued to prescribe painkillers as a result of pain she suffered from a decade-old car accident. Barnette presented evidence that showed Greene sent her husband to pick up her prescriptions after it was obvious that she was pregnant.
Greene’s lawyer Rauch Wise said he plans to file an appeal of the sentence. Wise cited the lack of evidence that enough morphine could cause the death of the baby. Wise commented Greene “already suffered an immeasurable loss with the death of her child and shouldn’t have to face prison time.” For the offense, she could have served life in prison.
Greene is eligible for parole after serving 16 years.