Louisiana mother gets 50-year sentence in the death of her disabled daughter, 25, who was found living in FILTH on a mattress covered with rotting food and body fluids and weighed as little as 65 pounds
- Karen Johnson Harrison, 50, accepted a plea deal in the 2018 second-degree murder of her 25-year-old disabled daughter, Cyra Shantelle Marie Harrison
- The body of her daughter, who had cerebral palsy, was found dehydrated on a mattress surrounded by filth by deputies responding to a natural death call
- Harrison was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder
- Cyra was found on a mattress covered with rotting food, dog food and bodily fluids, and the mattress lay on the floor of a house littered with animal feces
- The two other suspects, Glen Elva Maricle and his wife, Marilyn Sue Maricle, are still awaiting trial
- All three were indicted on charges of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, cruelty to the infirm and cruelty to a juvenile
A Louisiana mother was sentenced to 50 years behind bars for the death of her disabled daughter who was found dead on a filthy mattress weighing less than 65 pounds.
On Monday, 50-year-old Karen Johnson Harrison, of Plainview, accepted a plea deal in the second-degree murder of her 25-year-old disabled daughter, Cyra Shantelle Marie Harrison, whose body was found dehydrated on a mattress surrounded by filth.
Harrison was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder in the 2018 death of her daughter, who had cerebral palsy.
Karen Johnson Harrison, 50, accepted a plea deal in the 2018 second-degree murder of her 25-year-old disabled daughter, Cyra Shantelle Marie Harrison
Cyra Shantelle Marie Harrison's (pictured) death was declared a homicide by a coroner's report that said she died from failure to thrive and dehydration due to cerebral palsy and neglect
The 25-year-old's death was declared a homicide by a coroner's report that said she died from failure to thrive and dehydration due to cerebral palsy and neglect.
According to the report, her body was was found on a mattress covered with rotting food, dog food and bodily fluids, and the mattress lay on the floor of a house littered with animal feces and infested with roaches and flies.
Cyra Harrison was estimated to weigh between 65 to 70 pounds at the time of her death, the coroner's report said.
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Harrison was initially scheduled to go on trial on second-degree murder charges this week, which carries an automatic life sentence, but accepted the plea deal on the lesser charges.
Rapides Parish Assistant District Attorney Brian Cespiva called the plea deal a legal victory.
'Karen Harrison will be over 100 years old at the conclusion of this sentence,' the prosecutor said. 'We´ve effectively secured a life sentence without the inherent risks of a trial.'
Cyra Harrison (pictured) was estimated to weigh just 65 to 70 pounds at the time of her death, a coroner's report said
The two other suspects, Glen Elva Maricle and his wife, Marilyn Sue Maricle, are still awaiting trial
District Court Judge Chris Hazel sentenced Harrison to the maximum 40 years for manslaughter and 10 years for conspiracy, to run consecutively.
Time spent in jail before trial will count toward the sentence.
Following the sentencing District Attorney Phillip Terrell was joined by DA Cespiva and the detectives who investigated the case, KSLA.com reported.
'I think it became clear to the defendant that was her only option,' Terrell said of the plea deal. 'I want to compliment my two prosecutors and I also want to compliment the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office for the hard work that they've done to bring this matter to conclusion and get justice for Cyra Harrison.'
'I can tell you that this is probably the most heinous crime that has ever occurred in Rapides Parish in my opinion,' Cespiva said. 'I can't comment on the specific facts because we still have two more defendants to prosecute.'
Cyra Harrison's body was discovered by Rapides Parish Sheriff's deputies in 2018 when they answered a call about a natural death.
What they discovered prompted them to contact detectives who arrested Harrison and a couple who shared the house days later, AP reported.
The two other suspects, Glen Elva Maricle and his wife, Marilyn Sue Maricle, are still awaiting trial.
All three were indicted on charges of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, cruelty to the infirm and cruelty to a juvenile, AP reported.
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