http://www.wkbw.com/Story.aspx?previ...NStoryID=14229

Buffalo Mom Charged with Manslaughter


Aug 22, 2006 - Prosecutors now say 18-month-old Destiny Staley may have been without water or any type of fluids for up to three days before she died of dehydration last month. Now the little girl's mother is under arrest for manslaughter. Prosecutors say Destiny died because her mom was reckless.

Twenty-year-old Victoria Winkler now faces manslaughter charges for the death of her 18-month-old daughter, last month. The day after Destiny died, Winkler admitted to 7 News she had left the baby alone in a hot room of her Potomoc Avenue home, on a 90-plus degree day.

"I was cleaning. Cleaning and running around," Winkler told 7 News on July 17th, one day after her daughter died, "I lost track of time and when I went up there to check on her, it was horrible."

Prosecutors say the baby died of dehydration after being neglected for up to three days. "Although the mother admits to 15-18 hours that the child hadn't been given fluids, our experts indicate to us it could have been as long as 48-72 hours," says Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark, "So, the child might as well have been in the middle of the Sahara desert."

"I just lost my daughter and I miss her and love her and I want her to come back," said Winkler through her tears on July 17th.

Winkler has no criminal record, but could face up to 15 years in prison if she's convicted of manslaughter. "She's inconsolable in the death of her daughter, and to be charged as responsible in it puts more tragedy on an already tragic situation," said Winkler's attorney Karen Korkuc on Tuesday afternoon.

"How long was the baby in that room that hot without fluids? Three hours? Well it's an accident," explains Clark, "The longer you go beyond that the more it goes away from accident and goes toward criminal negligence or recklessness."

Winkler was arraigned on the manslaughter charge Tuesday afternoon, and her bail is set at $50,000 dollars. Her attorney says they'll probably file another motion to try to have her bail reduced.

This is the story where Mom's boyfriend told reporter- He didn't give any fluids or check on her because....
Not my my kid or it hasn't been proven yet!

I hope she gets her a$$ beat in jail...for a LONG time.

There were interviews with her right after it happened and within 2-3 days and she played to the cameras.

If she was cleaning I can not imagine how bad the house was before her 4-6 hour lapse of memory of a child she left in an upstairs bedroom on 90+ degree day with all windows closed.
It was 90+ in the room when rescue persons got on scene and conditions in the house were almost deplorable per some of the people on scene.

that poor baby. i cant even imagine!

Anyone with children that age knows that you can't "forget" them. They're into everything when they're not sleeping! That's just an excuse. I think it's awful.

this is just aweful i hope she gets the book thrown at her.

__________________
SILENCE IS GOLDEN BUT DUCK TAPE IS SILVER.

Why was she in a room that hot? Was the whole house that hot? I just don't get people like this. My children would be the ones in the cooler rooms, while I took the hot one..if that was what was necessary. My kids come first in ALL except my relationship with God and dh (and even that, if I thought he was doing something wrong, etc, he would be booted in a heartbeat). That poor baby.

__________________

Well boo freakin' hoo. If the woman had acted like a responsible adult and taken care of her child, then she wouldn't be in this situation.

As fas as I'm concerned, they can fry this woman so my tax dollars don't have to support this waste of oxygen with three hots and a cot, free healthcare, and federally-mandated cable TV.

__________________
You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.

Stupid b*tch! Hope she fries in he** just like that poor baby did!!

Hope she is convicted. I also think she should have a mandatory hysterectomy because she is just to stupid to to have kids. How can a mom forget her child?