Report: Nicole Beecroft Again Guilty of Stabbing Baby

Nicole Beecroft, accused of stabbing her newborn baby to death in Oakdale in 2007, was again found guilty of murder, according to the Pioneer Press.

At 17, Beecroft (now 24) was accused of stabbing the child more than 100 times and throwing the girl in a trashcan. She was tried as an adult and initially sentenced to life in prison without parole on the first-degree premeditated murder charge.

But her 2008 conviction was overturned in the Minnesota Supreme Court due to interference with expert witnesses, and the case was sent back to Washington County District Court.

Friday, Sept. 27, Washington County Chief Judge John C. Hoffman issued another guilty verdict, though it was a lesser conviction of second-degree murder, the Pioneer Press reports, noting a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison (she would receive credit seven years already served).

From the article:

However, the Washington County attorney's office has requested an upward departure from the sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors argue that there are aggravating factors: that the victim was particularly vulnerable because of her age and the victim was treated with particular cruelty.