A woman who served 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in a baby's death is back in custody in Spartanburg County, after officials say she failed a drug test required under the terms of her home detention. Katie Wheeler Harris now has to appear before a judge, who will decide how she serves the rest of her sentence.
According to the FOX Carolina, the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office said Harris tested positive for a banned substance on a drug screening required under her home detention contract. Officials said she will have to appear before a judge to determine how she will serve the remainder of her sentence, though it is not yet known when that hearing will take place or what the judge will decide.
A Baby's Death in Boiling Springs
Harris pleaded guilty in 2016 to voluntary manslaughter in the death of 3-month-old Everly Dickard, who was in her care. Deputies said Everly suffered non-accidental head trauma while with Harris and died 10 days later. Officials said Harris initially told them Everly had fallen from a baby swing and lied about how the infant was hurt.
The case stretched back to March 2015, when, per WSPA, paramedics found Everly unresponsive at Harris's home around 11:05 a.m. on March 20. An incident report cited by GoUpstate indicated the abuse occurred sometime between March 19 and March 20, while the infant was under Harris's supervision.
Charges Escalated Before the Plea
Harris was initially charged with felony child abuse, and that charge was later upgraded to homicide by child abuse before she ultimately pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, the station's report notes. Before entering that plea, her attorney had said Harris maintained she was not guilty as charged.
Reports on the resulting sentence differ. FOX Carolina has reported that Harris was sentenced to 30 years, suspended to 10 years in prison, followed by home detention and probation. WSPA, however, reported at the time that Harris was sentenced to 30 years suspended to 15 years of active service — 10 years in prison, five years in home detention, and five years of probation. The discrepancy between the two accounts has not been resolved.
What happens next for Harris remains to be seen. She is due before a judge who will determine how she serves what remains of her sentence, according to the same account.
