Foster mother sentenced to eight years in prison in boy's death

(Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe)

Stephen was led into the courtroom in handcuffs today.

By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff

A foster mother was sentenced today in Suffolk Superior Court to eight years in prison for causing the death of a 4-year-old child in her care.

Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 18 to 20 years for Corinne Stephen, 26, of Boston, who was convicted last month of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Dontel Jeffers. Defense attorney John Palmer had asked for house arrest "for a lengthy period of time."

In handing down the sentence, Judge Margaret Hinkle noted that the recommendations were "as disparate as any in the 15 years I have been a judge." She said she believed that eight years was a "fair and good sentence."

Stephen, who prosecutors said failed to immediately seek attention for Jeffers after he was severely beaten, will get credit for the 26 months she has already spent in prison.

Vincent James, a cousin of Jeffers, told the judge during the sentencing hearing that the family had endured tremendous pain, particularly when family members had gone to the morgue to identify him.

"Going to see him at the morgue, looking at his face and how badly bruised and swollen up he was -- was painful for the family," he said.

After the hearing ended, James said, "I'm glad that it's all over now. We'll have to go with what the judge decided."

Stephen's family and her lawyers had no comment.

Stephen had been charged with second-degree murder in the March 2005 death, but was convicted last month of the lesser charge after a jury deliberated for two days.

Prosecutors didn't present any direct evidence during the seven-day trial that Stephen abused the child before his death. Instead, they argued that she should be held responsible for his death because she refused to seek medical help, even though she knew he was in so much pain that she gave him a massive dose of Tylenol with codeine.

The involuntary manslaughter charge carried a possible sentence of up to 20 years.

The defense had argued that investigators failed to search hard enough for the real killer. Stephen's attorney said she was an unlikely killer because she served in the Army National Guard, had taken college-level nursing courses, and drove the boy to the hospital the day he died.

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