BEDFORD COUNTY, Pa. — A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced to up to 80 years in jail for her role in the death of a 3-year-old boy in 2022.
According to Attorney General Michelle Henry, Chelsea R. Cooley, 33, from Bedford County, was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to third-degree murder and related charges. She was sentenced to 40 to 80 years in prison.
The child was found unresponsive at Cooley's home on May 28, 2022, with baby wipes lodged in his throat. The boy, who was Cooley's boyfriend's son, was hospitalized and died a day later.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office opined that an adult strangled and asphyxiated the boy, based on the location of the wipes and other injuries on his body. Cooley was the sole adult caregiver at home when the boy sustained the injuries.
“The facts of this case are horrific,” Attorney General Henry said. “This defendant was responsible for caring for this child, and instead she did the unthinkable. She brutally murdered him, a defenseless and innocent three-year-old child. This defendant’s actions are devastating to the child’s loved ones, but we hope today’s admission and sentence offer a measure of justice.”
The boy's father was working a 12-hour shift and reported the child was normal and healthy when he left for work.
According to investigators, on May 28, a neighbor heard screaming and a female voice yelling, "Shut up," around the time the child was injured. Cooley showed police a photo of the child lying down with obvious injuries at 8:41 p.m. but reportedly didn't call 911 until 9:07 p.m. and was hesitant to help the child as instructed by dispatchers.
Cooley also pleaded guilty to felony counts of strangulation and endangering the welfare of a child.
