A mother received a punishment when her four-year-old daughter passed away from being fed Mountain Dew from a bottle.
Tamara Banks, aged 41, was sentenced to a minimum of nine years in jail for admitting guilt to involuntary manslaughter in the 2022 passing of her daughter, Karmity, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
In January 2022, Karmity was discovered unconscious by Banks and the child's father, Christopher Hoeb. They immediately dialed 911 for help.
Despite attempts to revive her, Karmity did not respond and was pronounced brain dead at the hospital. A few days later, life support was withdrawn.
Mark Tekulve, the Clermont County Prosecutor, expressed that Karmity endured a significant amount of suffering throughout her brief life due to the neglect and mistreatment inflicted by her parents. This information was reported by the local news station FOX 19.
Banks and Hoeb were accused by prosecutors of neglecting their daughter's health and nutrition. It was revealed that Karmity had undiagnosed diabetes. The couple allegedly fed her Mountain Dew using a baby bottle and even mixed baby formula with the soda. Prosecutors pointed out that Karmity's teeth were severely decayed and there was no indication that she had ever been to a dentist.
Clermont County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Clay Tharp expressed that this was one of the saddest cases he had ever come across. Karmity passed away on January 25, 2022, due to diabetic ketoacidosis, a severe complication of diabetes that can be life-threatening.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that although Type 1 diabetes is the most common cause of this condition, it can also impact individuals with Type 2 diabetes.
Prosecutors stressed that Karmity's death could have been avoided if her diabetes had been identified and managed. Tharp mentioned, “There was no need for this child to pass away.”
Banks justified her actions in court, claiming that she believed she was looking after her.
The prosecutors also revealed that there had been a previous diabetes-related incident in the household before Karmity's death. Banks' older son had slipped into a coma when he was four years old because his diabetes had gone undiagnosed. Unfortunately, after his recovery, Banks failed to take care of his medical requirements.
In July 2023, Banks and Hoeb, aged 53, were charged with murder, involuntary manslaughter, and two counts of child endangerment. However, the charges of murder and child endangerment were eventually dropped.
Hoeb admitted to involuntary manslaughter and will be sentenced on June 11. Banks got a nine-year prison term, but it could be increased to 13 and a half years depending on her behavior as per Ohio law.
RIP.
