BARTOW, Fla. – The father of an 8-week-old baby who died of dehydration has pleaded no contest to charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect in Florida.
The Ledger reports 25-year-old Mark Waters was sentenced to 18 years in prison Friday after the 2015 death of Ashley Waters. Legally, a no-contest plea carries the same weight as a guilty plea.
Waters agreed to testify against Ashley's mother, 28-year-old Megan Butkiewicus, who faces the same charges. The baby's grandmother, Joyce Ilsley, is charged with failure to report child abuse. It's unclear if they have lawyers.
Deputies found Ashley and her parents had been living in squalor. When Ashley was found unresponsive, court documents show she weighed less than when she did when she was born. Another child's condition resulted in the parent's child neglect charge.