(COLDWATER) – A Coldwater woman was ordered to serve a minimum of 11 years, three months to a maximum of 30 years in prison on Monday in Branch County Circuit Court after she entered no contest pleas in October to a pair of child abuse charges involving her infant son.
27-year-old Karah Louise Shepherd entered her pleas to charges of first and second degree child abuse. Two other first degree child abuse charges and a count of first degree criminal sexual conduct were dismissed by prosecutors in exchange for her no contest pleas.
Shepherd was arrested following an investigation by the Michigan State Police into crimes that took place between May and July of 2016. According to court documents, Shepherd said during an interview that she got upset with her son because of his crying.
The injured baby was two months old in July 2016 when Michigan State Police were called to the Community Health Center of Branch County. The injuries according to documents included broken bones.
