6 years in prison for mom who hurt adopted infant

A Sheridan mother will spend six years in prison after admitting to injuring her adopted daughter, a judge in Noblesville ruled today.

Rebecca Kyrie, 29, dressed in an orange jail-issued uniform, with her hair curled and her feet and hands in chains, was sentenced Friday for one count of felony aggravated battery in Hamilton County Superior Court 2.

Judge Daniel Pfleging sentenced Kyrie, a mother to two young sons, to 10 years in the Indiana Department of Correction. However, she will only spend six of those years behind bars and four years on probation.

Kyrie has been in the Hamilton County Jail since December 2007. Kyrie was charged then with murder, battery resulting in death, neglect of a dependent resulting in death and aggravated battery in the death of Chaeli Kyrie, her adopted 13-month-old daughter.

Rebecca Kyrie pleaded guilty to the aggravated battery charge on Oct. 31.

Chaeli Kyrie was pronounced dead Sept. 4, 2007, at St. Vincent Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.

The baby was taken there after Rebecca Kyrie called 911 to report the child’s shallow breathing and seek help.

An autopsy determined Chaeli died from head injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome, and a Marion County coroner ruled the death a homicide. Doctors reported damage to her eyes and bleeding in the brain as possible evidence of a violent and fatal shaking.