A mother has pled guilty to murder in the death of her toddler.
Erica Lawson, 23, of Mt. Vernon, pled guilty to aggravated murder in the July 2023 death of her 17-month-old girl, Elena Hembree, according to media reports. She also pled guilty to failure to report child abuse and first-degree wanton endangerment.
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
K105 previously reported that Lawson was arrested after Elena was taken to Middlesboro Appalachian Regional Hospital on July 28, 2023, before being airlifted to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. The toddler died there two days later.
“In my time with the commonwealth, this is one of the most severe cases of abuse, specifically because that baby is 17-months-old …,” Middlesboro Police Department investigator Caley Ayers told WBIR.com. at the time.
Earlier this month, a second person, 44-year-old Harvey C. Gollahan, of Middlesboro, was indicted by a Bell County Grand Jury on murder and first-degree criminal abuse charges in connection to Elena’s death.
As part of her plea deal, Lawson has agreed to cooperate with the prosecution of Gollahan.
(Photo l-r: Erica Lawson, Elena Hembree)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
