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 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.
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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.
His mother Jem Beam pleaded guilty to manslaughter in February.
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.
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Tagged: child death, courts, crime, penobscot county
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
