An Ohio judge has sentenced a mother to at least life in prison for killing her diabetic 4-year-old daughter, Carmity Hobe, by feeding her with Mountain Dew from a baby bottle, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The sentence came after Tamara Banks, 41, pleaded guilty in March 2024 to manslaughter. report State law reportedly allows the Department of Corrections to extend prisoners’ sentences based on their behavior while incarcerated, meaning Banks could face up to 13 1/2 years in prison.
“This is one of the most tragic cases I’ve ever come across,” Clermont County Deputy Prosecutor Clay Tharp said, according to the media.
Prosecutors said Banks’ daughter died in 2022 after being malnourished and lacking proper medical care. Fox 19Both Banks and the child’s father, Christopher Hove, were charged in 2023 with murder, manslaughter and child endangerment.
Hove, 53, also pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, according to Fox 19.
An Ohio mother was sentenced Friday to at least nine years in prison for killing her diabetic 4-year-old daughter after feeding her mostly Mountain Dew from a baby bottle.
Tamara Banks abused her 4-year-old daughter, Carmity Hobe, and refused to be her father. pic.twitter.com/PSGIdb3Oql
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) May 25, 2024
The judge followed the prosecutor’s recommendation to dismiss the other charges in exchange for Tamera’s guilty plea. “Although the judge imposed the maximum sentence possible based on Tamera’s criminal history, we still feel the process was rushed,” Tamera’s son, Jerry Banks, told Fox 19 in an interview.
The parents found their daughter unresponsive on Jan. 21, 2022, and called 911, Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve said in a press release. The daughter was then taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital where she was pronounced brain dead. She died three days later after her child support payments were terminated, according to Fox 19. (Related article: Baby dies after mother leaves home for 10 days on holiday)
According to the outlet, the coroner determined the cause of death was diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous complication of diabetes. Jerry Banks claimed he never met his sister because his parents kept her away from the rest of the family.
