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Sentence upheld for Mercer Co. mom in starving case

Published: Thursday, August 16, 2012

Updated: Friday, August 17, 2012 00:08

MERCER, Pa. (AP) — The state Superior Court says a judge was justified in sentencing a Mercer County woman to far more time in prison for starving her infant son than the baby's father received.

The higher court ruled a Mercer County judge was justified last year when he sentenced 24-year-old Royanne Darr to 21½ to 43 years in prison for the death of her 2-month-old son who was malnourished and left outside in near-freezing temperatures in January 2010.

Darr, of Greenville, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and was found to be playing Scrabble when she forgot about her son.

The judge sentenced the baby's father 25-year-old Michael Rabold, to 7½ to 15 years in prison for his no contest plea because he functioned at a fourth grade level and didn't have the mental capacity to care for the boy.

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