UPDATE 1/19/12 @ 1:05 p.m.
PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A mom from Putnam County has been sentenced to life with mercy in the murder of her daughter.
Ashland was three-years-old when she died of complications from cystic fibrosis.
A jury found the mom, Tracy Wright, guilty of not providing enough help for her child.
Wright was sentenced Thursday morning to life with mercy for the murder and three to five years for the child neglect. These sentences will be served concurrently.
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UPDATE 10/19/11 @ 10:45 p.m.
PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The jury has found a mother charged in the death of her 3-year-old daughter guilty of murder and child neglect resulting in death.
Testimony started Tuesday in the case against Tracy Wright in Putnam County. Her 3-year-old daughter Ashley died last December. It took the jury about two hours to reach a verdict.
Police say the little girl had cystic fibrosis and her special needs were ignored. They say her death could have been prevented.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes mucous to build up in the lungs and other parts of the body.
It can be fatal if it's not treated, and Ashley wasn't treated.
"She was truly a defenseless victim," says Kristina Raynes, a Putnam County assistant prosecuting attorney.
Raynes says Wright routinely skipped doctor's appointments. A doctor eventually said something, but it was too late.
Wright didn't even get prescriptions filled for her daughter, all while making sure her own were taken care of, Raynes says.
"A mother holds your hand when you're going through the worst times of your life, and she was completely alone," Raynes says.
But, Wright's attorney, David Moye, argued CPS was at fault.
Social workers started checking on Ashley in late 2009 and eventually tried to get her out of the home.
But again, it was too late.
“If they are in charge, then that responsibility is on their shoulders. It's not on Tracy's," Moye says.
Moye also argued it really wasn't clear why Ashley died since she had other illnesses.
Wright didn't say anything in her defense. But, the prosecutor says her actions, or lack thereof, said everything.
"Ashley needed justice because she had been denied for so long," Raynes says.
The jurors recommended mercy, so she'll be eligible for parole in 15 years.
A judge will sentence Wright in January.
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UPDATE 10/19/11 @ 1:10 p.m.
PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The jury is deliberating in the case against a mother charged in the death of her 3-year-old daughter.
Testimony started Tuesday in the case against Tracy Wright in Putnam County. Her 3-year-old daughter Ashley died last December.
Police say the little girl had cystic fibrosis and her special needs were ignored. They say her death could have been prevented.
The jury started deliberating just before 1 p.m. Wednesday.
We have a crew in the courtroom. Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
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UPDATE 10/18/11 @ 7:50 p.m.PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A mother is charged in the death of her daughter for allegedly not taking care of a serious disease that plagued her.
Testimony started Tuesday in the case against Tracy Wright in Putnam County. Her 3-year-old daughter Ashley died last December.
Police say the little girl had cystic fibrosis and her special needs were ignored. They say her death could have been prevented.
Wright is charged with murder and child neglect resulting in death, and a jury will now determine if she is guilty or innocent.
In the courtroom on Tuesday, prosecutors argued Ashley would still be alive if her mother had just followed through.
They say simple things like keeping doctors appointments and administering prescribed medication would have made the difference. But, the defense says -- not so fast.
There's no doubt Ashley was a sick little girl. When she was around 6 months old, she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease of the mucous and sweat glands.
“It can lead to a shortened life, but life span can be good with good care,” said Dr. Raheel Khan, a pediatrician and the director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center.
But, Ashley was not getting good care. From doctors to social workers who took the stand, the neglect was well documented.
“The house was dirty. The floor was so dirty, Ashley’s feet were black. There was a dog in the house, so there was a dog odor,” said Amber Bernard, a worker with "Children First," an agency contracted through the Department of Health and Human Resources.
But, the defense returned to other possibilities for Ashley's death, saying a diagnosis of MRSA, a bacterial infection Ashley was diagnosed with in the final year of her life could have led to a fatal case of pneumonia.
“Pneumonia means they are acute respiratory stress with high fever. So, if those are the signs, then yes, combined with imaging studies, chest X-rays, CT scan, whatever you would need to diagnose MRSA or pneumonia is made,” Dr. Khan said.
Dr. Khan said Ashley did not have a fever, so he thought pneumonia was doubtful.
Wright's husband battled terminal colon cancer during much of Ashley's life and died a year and a half before she did. So, Wright had a lot going on in her life.
The prosecution is wrapping up its case, and the defense is not planning to present any witnesses. So, the jury could get the case late Wednesday morning after closing arguments.
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UPDATE 8/10/11 @ 11:30 p.m.
PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A mother from Putnam County accused of letting her sick child die found out Wednesday when she will go to trial.
Tracy Wright was in court Wednesday on charges of murder and child neglect resulting in death.
Her trial date is set for Oct. 7.
Wright's 3-year-old daughter Ashley died in December due to complications from cystic fibrosis.
Doctors say the little girl had been neglected and wasn't given the medical treatment that could have saved her life.
Police say Wright filled drug prescriptions for herself but not for her daughter.
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UPDATE 1/13/11 @ 6 p.m.
PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A mom has been charged in the death of her three-year-old daughter who suffered from cystic fibrosis. Police said the little girl's special needs were ignored and her death could have been prevented.
Ashley Wright died in December of 2010 due to medical complications, but doctors told police with the proper care her cystic fibrosis could have been controlled. Her mom, Tracy Wright, has been charged with child neglect resulting in death.
"A three-year-old child is helpless," Putnam County Sheriff Mark Smith said. "They have to be cared for, especially if they have a special need like this child had. This is very sad."
According to the criminal complaint, Ashley's doctors were concerned and complained because she routinely missed appointments and wasn't getting the medicine she needed.
But police say Wright had no problem treating herself. According to the complain, last year Wright had 25 narcotics prescriptions filled from nine different doctors for herself. But detectives found prescriptions for Ashley that were expired, unopened and unfilled.
But one neighbor said Wright did her best to take care of Ashley.
"She's a good mom," Travis Sigmon said. "She is, and she doesn't deserve to have her kids taken away from her."
But an aunt and a neighbor both say they were concerned about Ashley. The aunt said she contacted Child Protective Services several times. According to the criminal complaint, CPS had received at least 12 complaints and they did repeatedly check in on the little girl. Each time though, they reported Ashley wasn't getting the proper medical treatment.
CPS cannot discuss specific cases, but a spokesperson says they remove children if they're in imminent danger. He said they try to work with families to help them improve and are bound by certain laws regarding what they can do.
Wright's bond was set at $50,000. Her other daughter has been placed in protective custody.
ORIGINAL STORYWINFIELD, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A mother in Putnam County is facing charges in connection with the death of her 3-year-old daughter.
Tracy Wright was arrested Thursday morning and charged with child neglect resulting in death.
Wright's 3-year-old daughter died back on December 29. According to the criminal complaint, the girl suffered from Cystic Fibrosis and police say Wright refused to get treatment for the girl.
Wright is being held on a $50,000 bond
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