An Oklahoma mom has pleaded guilty to accidentally killing her teen daughter while trying to shoot a stray dog that was attacking kittens.
Amanda Myrene Fields Moffett, 43, a Cherokee citizen of Nowata, entered the plea this week after being hit with an involuntary manslaughter charge in Indian country for the tragic incident five years ago that killed her 16-year-old daughter, Laramie, the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma said.
On Oct. 5, 2018, Moffett’s daughter told her that a stray dog was attacking kittens outside.
The mother admitted that she stepped out onto her front porch and fired a handgun into the dark yard at what she believed was the dog – but without confirming that her daughter was out of her line of fire.
“Every gun owner has the legal responsibility to use extreme caution when discharging a firearm. This case unfortunately highlights the potential tragic results absent that caution,” US Attorney Clinton Johnson said in a statement.
Moffett was initially charged with first-degree murder with deliberate intent, but the case was dismissed after her attorney argued that she was wrongfully charged in state court, KSN 16 reported.
There also had been discrepancies in how many times the girl was shot, according to Nowata County District Court documents cited by the outlet.
Moffett faces a maximum of eight years in a federal lockup.
A federal judge will determine the sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Moffett will remain on conditions of supervised release until sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled, officials said.
The case was investigated by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, FBI and Nowata County Sheriff’s Office.