Appeals Court Affirms Sentence of Red Wing Mother Convicted of Killing Her Two Newborns
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled against a Red Wing woman who was convicted for the murders of her two newborns.
Read More: 27 Year Prison Sentence for Minnesota Mother of Dead Newborns
51-year-old Jennifer Matter entered a guilty plea to a second-degree murder charge in late January after reaching a plea agreement that resulted in the dismissal of another count of second-degree murder.
Goodhue County prosecutors also agreed to drop their request for an aggravated sentence in the case.
According to court documents, Matter admitted concealing her pregnancy and then giving birth along the shore of Lake Pepin at Frontenac on December 6, 2003.
She admitted placing the infant near the water's edge without clothing or blanket and walking away while the temperature was near freezing.
In her confession, Matter admitted getting into her car and driving away with no intention of returning, knowing the newborn would not survive.
She was charged last year after investigators used DNA evidence and genetic genealogy databases to identify Matter as the mother of the newborn boy and a newborn girl who was found dead in the Mississippi River near Red Wing on November 11, 1999.
The testing was paid for using donations from Goodhue County residents interested in solving the mystery surrounding the deaths of the babies.
Minnesota Court of Appeals Denies Red Wing Woman's Appeal for Killing Two Newborns
A Goodhue County Judge sentenced Matter to more than 27 years in prison in April. She motioned for a downward sentencing departure but was denied a lesser prison sentence.
Matter appealed the punishment, arguing the court abused its discretion by denying her downward departure request and by doling out a sentence that was not at the lower end of state sentencing guidelines.
The court determined the lower court acted within its discretion when issuing the sentence.
Matter is serving her 326 month prison sentence at the state prison in Shakopee. Minnesota Department of Corrections records indicate her anticipated release date is April of 2041 and the expiration of her sentence is set for 2050.
Correction: A previous version of this story said the ruling was made by the Minnesota Supreme Court
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Gallery Credit: Photos supplied by Rochester Police Departmentt
