Bangor grandmother pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of 10-year-old grandson

A Bangor grandmother has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of her 10-year-old grandson. Mistie Latourette entered her plea Friday afternoon in Penobscot County Superior Court, her attorney and a spokesperson for the prosecution confirmed. She had been scheduled for a bench trial on a murder charge on Tuesday. Latourette was one of three people [charged with depraved indifference murder](https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/28/parents-and-grandmother-charged-in-death-of-bangor-10-year-old/) in the death of 10-year-old Braxtyn Smith, who police say suffered months of abuse while living with his parents before he died in a hospital on Feb. 18, 2024. Related [Bangor 10-year-old suffered months of abuse before his death, police say](https://www.pressherald.com/2024/03/02/bangor-10-year-old-suffered-months-of-abuse-before-his-death-police-say/) The boy was underweight for his age and covered in bruises, police said in court records. Interviews with the defendants revealed that Braxtyn’s parents regularly zip-tied him to door knobs and chairs and withheld food. Latourette told police she visited the family often and helped with homeschooling. Braxtyn’s father, Joshua Smith, pleaded guilty to murder [on Thursday](https://www.centralmaine.com/2026/06/11/bangor-father-pleads-guilty-to-murder-of-10-year-old-son/). His mother Jem Beam pleaded guilty to manslaughter [in February](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/02/13/bangor-mom-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter-in-10-year-old-sons-death/). The trio will be sentenced at a later date. Latourette’s attorney Christopher MacLean said on Friday that the plea deal includes a 15-year sentencing cap. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [child death](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/child-death/), [courts](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/courts/), [crime](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/crime/), [penobscot county](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/penobscot-county/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/emily-allen) [Emily AllenStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/emily-allen) Emily Allen covers courts for the Portland Press Herald. It's her favorite beat so far — before moving to Maine in 2022, she reported on a wide range of topics for public radio in West Virginia and was. [More by Emily Allen](https://www.pressherald.com/author/emily-allen)