Bloomington woman convicted in child’s suffocation death

Posted on December 1, 2016
Elizabeth Potts, Timothy Crafton Sr.
Elizabeth Potts was convicted for her role in her child’s death, while ex-husband Timothy Crafton has already served a sentence for child endangerment.(Photos courtesy McLean County Jail)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – A McLean County judge has convicted a Bloomington woman of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment stemming from the death of her infant daughter in 2014.

Elizabeth Potts, 22, left her 11-week-old baby, Leah-Renee Crafton, under a blanket in a car seat overnight. The child died nearly a year later due to a brain injury caused by the suffocation.

Judge Robert Freitag issued the ruling at the conclusion of a bench trial which started last week. Potts was also found guilty of one count of obstruction of justice for lying to authorities about how the infant was put to bed.

Potts faces up to 14 years in prison when she is sentenced Feb. 21.

Her ex-husband Timothy Crafton has already served a prison sentence for a child endangerment charge stemming from the baby’s death.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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