Kimberly Pappas, whose post-childbirth trauma and poor choices resulted in public outrage and severe media scrutiny, was sent to prison recently. The 26-year-old Wyandotte woman appeared before Wayne County Circuit Judge Bruce Morrow at an emotional and tearful sentencing.

“The pain, grief and regret I have over this really can’t be put into words,” Pappas told the court. “It will be with me for the rest of my life,” she said. But for this grieving woman, while the pain and sorrow of her choices will be difficult to work through, at least she won’t have to do it alone.

 
Her father, who was present at the sentencing, told her openly that the family had only unconditional love and forgiveness for her. He also stated that they intended to support her with as many visits as they were able during her incarceration. “Your mother and I urge you to take care of yourself,” he said. And then he went on to say that they would be there when she was released.

 
Judge Morrow sentenced Pappas to nine to twenty years in prison for the death of her newborn baby boy. Her two attorneys wanted to make sure that aside from just incarceration, she also received mental health treatment. Calling her actions “aberrant behavior for a woman”, the attorneys requested that the Judge include mental health treatment in her sentence.

 
Her attorneys pointed out that her actions were not premeditated, but rather, the actions of a woman panicking in the moment. They explained to the court that she truly hadn’t meant to kill her baby and suffers enormous remorse over what she did.

 
Pappas’ sentence is considerably lighter than it could have been, given the severity of the charges she faced initially. She had originally been charged with felony murder, premeditated murder and first-degree child abuse.

 
However, in accepting a deal with the prosecutor’s office, Pappas agreed to plead guilty to a single count of second degree child abuse in return for all other charges being dismissed.