Woman pleads guilty in death of 3-year-old girl

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A second Grand Junction woman has pleaded guilty in the death of a 3-year-old girl.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports (https://goo.gl/TvkCZd ) 32-year-old Rebekah Wallin pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder in the March death of Bethannie Johnson. The girl was found underweight and unresponsive at Wallin’s home, and an autopsy later showed she died of multiple blunt-force injuries.

Wallin’s girlfriend, 30-year-old Shanna Gossett, pleaded guilty to the same charge earlier this month.

Gossett, Bethannie’s aunt, initially told police that she had strapped her niece in a high chair and kept her in a closet for two weeks before her death. She later told investigators that Wallin physically abused the child, including smashing her into walls and furniture.

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Information from: The Daily Sentinel, https://www.gjsentinel.com