A mother was sentenced on Monday in connection with the death of her 8-year-old daughter.
On March 16, 2024, police were called to a home on Phyllis Street in Wayne and found an unresponsive child in a bedroom. Police said she had “significant bruising and swelling” to her head and neck. Prosecutors said the injuries made the child “unrecognizable.”
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Background --> Wayne mother charged with murder, child abuse in death of 8-year-old girl
The girl was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Authorities said Chelsea Duperon, 30, assaulted her daughter on March 13, 2024, and caused injuries that led to her death.
Duperon initially told police her daughter fell down the stairs. Authorities said the girl likely would have survived had she received medical treatment on the day of the alleged assault.
Police said her boyfriend informed him that she said a spirit or ghost had been making her feel crazy.
Duperon was initially charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on July 1, 2025.
She was sentenced on July 28, 2025, to 28 to 50 years in prison.