MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis woman was sentenced to 40 years in prison for beating a 4-year-old boy to death.

Carla Poole pleaded guilty in June to second-degree unintentional murder. She was sentenced Friday morning in Hennepin County District Court.
Prosecutors had said Poole beat Demond Reed to death while two of her children held him down. The boy was beaten because he had soiled his pants.

The boy's body was found in a closet at Poole's home in February. Poole — who was caring for Demond while his father was in jail — had reported the boy missing.

Poole's attorney said Poole decided to plead guilty to take responsibility for Demond's death and to spare the child's family — and her own four children — a trial.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman called it "a horrible, senseless tragedy from the start."

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