2 Ohio nurses get probation in malnutrition death of teen girl who weighed 28 lbs. when died

CINCINNATI – Two Ohio nurses were sentenced to probation on Wednesday in the malnutrition death of a 14-year-old girl who had cerebral palsy and weighed 28 pounds when she died, avoiding a sentence of up to one-and-a-half years in prison.

Mary Kilby of Miamisburg and Kathryn Williams of Englewood were sentenced to up to five years of probation in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in Dayton on Wednesday stemming from the March 1, 2011, death of Makayla Norman.

Authorities say the teen had numerous bed sores and was living in filthy conditions when she died from nutritional and medical neglect complicated by cerebral palsy in what a coroner said at the time was the "worst malnourished child" his office had ever seen.

Kilby, 64, and Williams, 43, had pleaded no contest to charges of failing to provide for a functionally impaired child and could have faced up to 18 months in prison at their sentencing.

As part of Wednesday's sentence, handed down by Judge Mary Katherine Huffman, both women had to agree to surrender their nursing licenses and will no longer be allowed to practice in Ohio.

They both still face misdemeanor charges in a juvenile court that could carry prison time and have a status conference scheduled for Monday. The trial in that court has not yet been scheduled.

The nurses' attorneys argued that they had much less significant roles in Makayla's death than the teen's mother and another nurse.

Her mother, Angela Norman of Dayton, was sentenced to nine years in prison stemming from the death. The other nurse, Mollie Parsons, is set for trial Nov. 5 and has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, failing to provide for a functionally impaired child and tampering with records.

Prosecutors say the teen was supposed to be cared for by her mother and Parsons, whose job was to administer care to the girl six days a week.

Williams was to supervise Parsons, visit and inspect the living conditions, and do a physical assessment of the girl every 30 to 60 days, and Kilby was scheduled to visit every six months to check on conditions in the home and assess the girl's health, needs and care, prosecutors say.

Brad Baldwin, Williams' attorney, said his client "is very, very heartbroken and remorseful."

"Throughout Kathryn's nursing career, she's done many good things and helped many people," he said. "This is a case where things went terribly wrong, but she does take full responsibility for her involvement in this tragedy."

Dennis Lieberman, who represents Kilby, said the retired grandmother also regrets Makayla's death.

"If Mary could go back in time, she would have done things differently," he said.

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