Alabama – An Alabama woman, Elizabeth Anne Case, 40, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for pleading guilty to manslaughter in the hot car death of her 13-month-old son, Casen Case. The sentencing took place on Monday, with credit given for the four years and 150 days Case spent in pretrial detention after being in custody since October 2019. The child’s death on October 5, 2019, resulted from being left in a car overnight after his mother went dumpster diving in two counties.
Case’s journey through the legal system involved facing a series of charges, from old and lesser to newer and stronger, with the ultimate acceptance of a plea deal for the second-most mentally culpable form of homicide in Alabama. The tragedy unfolded as Case chose dumpsters in Limestone and Madison counties on October 4, 2019, staying out late before returning home around 5:40 a.m. The following afternoon, the boy’s grandmother, Theresa Moss, searched for him after becoming concerned and ultimately found him inside the vehicle.
Despite the discovery, authorities claim that Case did not immediately seek help from law enforcement or emergency medical services; it was Moss who took charge by calling 911 and rushing to meet Athens Police Department officers. Following the incident where the local temperature was around 97 degrees, Case faced severe legal consequences over the years, with various charges filed against her in relation to her son’s death. Casen’s aunt, Laura Barnett, even filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against multiple parties, which was later dismissed. Alabama attorney Tommy James highlighted the need for accountability in child protection services to prevent such heartbreaking incidents in the future.