bdmetronews Desk ॥ On Tuesday, an Illinois judge dubbed a 35-year-old woman a “monster mom” before sentencing her to 43 years in prison for the 2014 murder of her 11-year-old daughter, PEOPLE confirms.
Addressing the courtroom, 19th Circuit Court Judge James Booras questioned how anyone could treat their child the way Nicholette Lawrence did.
“Who would lock a child up in a closet furnished only with a sink and feed the child only a bowl of cereal a day?” Booras asked aloud, according to a court transcript obtained by PEOPLE.
As Booras spoke, he noted that such crimes are usually committed against children by “a stranger or an evil individual” — not their parent.
Lawrence pleaded guilty to murder in October. Had she been convicted, she could have received a life sentence.
Raashanai Coley, 11, died on Sept. 5, 2014 — just two days after Lawrence allegedly punched the 67-pound girl in the stomach. Medical examiners determined that the powerful blow resulted in an infection that ultimately killed the young girl.
An autopsy on Raashanai additionally revealed the girl had endured physical abuse long before her death. Court records show her body bore scars, indicating she had sustained — and then healed from — substantial injuries caused by the beatings.
“It’s why I refer to her as a ‘monster mom,’ ” the transcript quotes Booras as saying of Lawrence. “I saw photos of the autopsy. The state made reference she came from a prison camp. No. It looked like she came out of concentration prison camp. How can humans do this? Animals don’t do this to their own.”
