Rebecca A. Dobbs of Gas, charged with first-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her infant son, has pleaded guilty to one charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Dobbs pleaded no-contest to the lesser charge last week in Allen County District Court.
In a no-contest plea, the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges evidence exists of a crime and does not contest that evidence.
As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dismissed a count of aggravated child endangerment. The original first-degree murder charge was amended to involuntary manslaughter in June.
Cecil Jay Dobbs, who was born Nov. 8, 2021, was found lifeless after Dobbs called police to the 500 block of South Jefferson in LaHarpe on Jan. 11, 2022.
Dobbs had told officers she had fed her child early that morning, but a second attempt to feed Cecil two hours later was unsuccessful.
Officers were called about six hours later.
After an autopsy, first-degree murder charges were filed two months later, in March 2022.
31st District Chief Judge Daniel Creitz ordered a pre-sentence investigation.
Dobbs will be sentenced Nov. 6.
Kansas sentencing guidelines set prison sentences between four and 20 years for first-degree manslaughter convictions.
