East Troy mother pleads guilty in death of twins
EAST TROY, Wis. — The mother of East Troy twins who drowned in a bathtub Sept. 22 will be sentenced July 31 on one felony and one misdemeanor charge.
Melody N. Butt, 26, of N8088 Marsh Road, East Troy, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of felony child neglect resulting in death and one count of party to misdemeanor child neglect, said Joshua Grube, assistant Walworth County district attorney.
As part of a plea agreement, an additional felony count of child neglect resulting in death and an additional misdemeanor count of child neglect were dismissed, Grube said.
The prosecution and defense will be free to argue for whatever sentence they believe is appropriate, Grube said.
Butt faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and one year in jail.
An East Troy police officer found the 11-month-old twins, a boy and a girl, lying on the floor of the living room after being dispatched to the family’s apartment at 1976 Church St. Neither was responding, and they were transferred to the hospital where they were pronounced dead, according to early court testimony.
According to the criminal complaint, Butt began filling a bath and put one of the twins in the water. She then went to her bedroom and fell asleep.
When she awoke, her roommate came home and was asking why the bath was running. He then discovered both twins in the tub, according to the complaint.
