Prince William Circuit Court Judge William Hamblen sentenced a North Carolina woman to 35 years in jail for the beating death of her adopted 2-year-old daughter, with 10 of those years suspended.
Peggy Sue Hilt, 33, of Wake Forest, N.C., on Thursday was given five years probation on top of her jail time, said court officials.
Hilt had pleaded guilty in March to second-degree murder for beating her adopted Russian daughter to death. The beating took place in North Carolina on July 1, and after traveling to visit relatives in Manassas, the young girl died.
“It was a horrible case and the child suffered numerous injuries,” said Paul Ebert, Prince William commonwealth’s attorney, who said the sentence, which exceeded the guidelines, “was a fair disposition.”
Due to Hilt’s case and one other, the Russian government put on a hold on pending adoption applications for foreigners, attracting worldwide media attention.
Hilt’s defense attorney, William Stephens, said the punishment could have been more severe had she gone to trial. He does not plan to appeal.
