MARION, Ind. (AP/WRTV) — A jury has convicted a northern Indiana woman of the strangulation death of her 10-year-old stepdaughter.
The Grant County jury deliberated about three hours Friday afternoon before finding Amanda Carmack of Gas City guilty of murder, strangulation, neglect of a dependent resulting in death and domestic battery resulting in death to a person under 14.
On Monday, a jury said Carmack should serve life in prison without parole, according to online court records. She will be sentenced at 10 a.m. on Sept. 15.
Last year, a mistrial was declared after an outbreak of COVID-19 cases.
MORE: Stepmother of Gas City 10-year-old charged with murder, siblings claim abuse
Police found Skylea Carmack’s body in a shedin September 2019. She had last been seen days earlier.
According to court documents, when questioned by detectives about whether she had done anything to the child, Amanda Carmack said, "I don't remember," or "it doesn't matter." But she eventually admitted to killing Skylea, by choking the girl and then tying "something" around her neck.
Carmack said she did it because she was angry and claimed "mental disease" as her defense. But a mental evaluation found the woman was competent to stand trial.
