CLEARFIELD – A Grampian woman charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of her infant daughter was sentenced Monday.
Alexa Lynn Kephart, 23, agreed to plead guilty to felony endangering the welfare of a child and misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter before her scheduled trial in December.
Judge Paul Cherry sentenced her Monday to serve six months to one year in jail with five years concurrent probation. She must complete drug counseling as well as a child nurturing program.
Prior to sentencing, both Kephart’s mother and grandmother told Cherry that she is off drugs and a totally different person now.
Her attorney, Mike Worgul, stated that if someone is responsible for the death of their child, they carry it the rest of their life. He added that “she is moving in the right direction at this point.”
Deputy Assistant District Attorney Trudy Lumadue asked Cherry for a 12-month state prison sentence while Worgul argued for house arrest. However, he stated she was ready to accept a period of incarceration.
It was noted that Kephart tested positive last week for heroin, and the sample was sent out for further testing. Worgul defended this saying that Kephart’s drug of choice was methamphetamine, not heroin and this was the first drug test she had failed while out on bail.
After she was tested again Monday, she was only positive for THC, which indicates marijuana use. Kephart reportedly has a medical marijuana card.
Cherry stated that “unfortunately it took the death of a child for you to wake up and stop using drugs.”
Police said the 39-day-old child was found unconscious and blue when the parents woke around 10:14 a.m. on July 1, 2020. She had been sleeping with them in a full-sized bed along with her 22-month-old brother.
She was later pronounced dead at Penn Highlands DuBois.
Both Kephart and the baby’s father, Dakota James Lynn Canfield, 24, were subjected to a drug test that same day.
Kephart reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamines, marijuana and ecstasy while Canfield was positive for these substances plus alcohol.
During the initial investigation, it was discovered that they had an open case with Clearfield County Children, Youth and Family Services.
Their records indicated that when Kephart gave birth, she tested positive for both methamphetamine and amphetamines.
Canfield is also charged in this case with two felony counts of endangering the welfare of children and misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person.
Canfield signed a plea agreement in January with his sentencing scheduled for March 29.