Mom gave toddler prescription pills, sat in car with her as she died, CA officials say
A woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter by intentionally giving her prescription pills has been sentenced, California prosecutors say.
Macie Silvey was sentenced on Thursday, Sept. 5, to 33 years to life in prison in the 2023 death of her daughter, the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office said in a Sept. 6 Facebook post.
An attorney representing Silvey did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Sept. 9.
During her sentencing hearing, Silvey’s father, Todd Silvey, said he not only lost a granddaughter but also a daughter, the Record Searchlight reported.
“The person that murdered our granddaughter is the not the same person who grew up with us,” he said, the newspaper reported. “It pains me. There’s no win when she goes to prison. We’ll have nothing.”
‘Deliberately provided’
Through investigation, Redding police detectives learned the 21-year-old mother “deliberately provided,” as well as allowed her child to access prescription medication in January 2023, police said in an August 2023 Facebook announcing Silvey’s arrest.
Despite knowing her daughter had taken the medications and showed overdose-like symptoms, Silvey is accused of driving to rural Shasta County, preventing her from seeking medical attention for her daughter for multiple hours, police said.
The pair sat in the car together in Millville as the toddler died, according to prosecutors.
“After her child died, Silvey drove into town and pretended that an accident had happened,” prosecutors said.
‘A beautiful child’
Detectives investigated the girl’s death for seven months and ultimately obtained a warrant for Silvey’s arrest.
She was arrested on a murder and kidnapping charge on Aug. 8, 2023, police said.
At her arraignment that same month, she pleaded not guilty, prosecutors said.
Nine months later, Silvey pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping, prosecutors said in a Facebook post.
At Silvey’s sentencing hearing, the girl’s paternal grandfather, John Harrison, spoke of the fond memories he had of his granddaughter, “such as waking her up from naps and giving her hugs or at other times teaching her to hoot like an owl,” the Record Searchlight reported.
“She was a beautiful child,” Harrison said, the newspaper reported.
Redding is about a 160-mile drive north from Sacramento.
This story was originally published September 9, 2024 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Mom gave toddler prescription pills, sat in car with her as she died, CA officials say."
