Seneca mother receives prison time for severely injuring baby

Feb. 22--PINEVILLE, Mo. -- A Seneca mother has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the abuse two years ago of her 5-month-old daughter that left the girl with severe brain damage.

Cassii M. Neuroth, 31, entered an Alford plea on Tuesday at a hearing in Pineville to counts of second-degree domestic assault and first-degree child endangerment in connection with the abuse of her daughter, Aria Ellington.

Her plea agreement in the case -- moved from Newton County to McDonald County on a change of venue -- called for consecutive sentences of seven years for the assault and three years for endangerment of the child. Circuit Judge Tim Perigo accepted the plea deal and assessed Neuroth the consecutive prison terms at a sentencing hearing Wednesday.

The case had been scheduled to go to trial this week. Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Miller said the defendant instead took the plea offer on Tuesday and sentencing was delayed until Wednesday to give family members the opportunity to be present in court.

An Alford plea admits no guilt but acknowledges the likelihood of a conviction if the matter were to proceed to trial.

Neuroth reported that her infant daughter was having trouble breathing the afternoon of Feb. 17, 2016, at the family's home in Seneca. An ambulance transported the baby to Mercy Hospital Joplin, where doctors determined she was suffering from severe bleeding of the brain. She was flown to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, where a skull fracture was detected.

A child abuse specialist informed investigators that the injuries appeared to be the result of abuse and would have had to have been inflicted most likely within three to six hours of the onset of the child's difficulties breathing and decreased heart rate.

The child's father told investigators that he was with the mother and their baby until he went to work about 8 a.m. that day and that the baby had not shown any signs of injury at that time. The mother admitted that she was alone with the girl and her 17-month-old child in the hours preceding her 911 call for emergency help.

Miller said the Newton County prosecutor's office initially charged the mother with first-degree domestic assault because investigators believed she "knowingly" inflicted serious injury to the baby. The plea offer reduced that charge to second-degree domestic assault, meaning she "recklessly" caused serious injury to the child.

Miller said the endangerment charge was added to the plea offer because investigators believe Neuroth was negligent in failing to summon medical help immediately upon injuring her baby.

At the time of the mother's arrest two years ago, a social worker was reported to have told investigators that the baby was 70 percent brain dead and being kept alive on a respirator. Miller said the child, who is now 2 1/2 years old, has seen "significant improvement" since then and has been home in the custody of her father for a year.

She is not yet able to walk or talk, but doctors have revised their estimate of the extent of brain damage down to 40 to 60 percent.

"She is not expected to make a full recovery given the amount of damage that was done," Miller said. "She requires a significant amount of care. But the family believes she will one day be able to walk with assistance and communicate effectively."

Jail stay

Cassii Neuroth has remained in jail since her arrest two years ago.

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