Mother convicted of killing malnourished baby by giving him cow’s milk could have life sentence commuted

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A mother who was convicted of murder after giving cow’s milk to her malnourished infant son while fleeing from Hurricane Katrina could have her life sentence commuted.

The Louisiana Board of Pardon and Parole has recommended release for 43-year-old Tiffany Woods who has been behind bars for the past 17 years for second-degree murder in the November 2005 malnutrition death of her five-month-old baby, Emmanuel.

The decision of whether or not she’ll be released is now up to Governor John Bel Edwards.

At a hearing on Monday, Ms Woods pleaded for her release in front of the board from the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in Baker, where Warden Kristen Thomas said she was a “low-risk, low-need” inmate.

“At that stage of my life I was a young mother who was trying to take care of her children the best she could. And I made some terrible decisions,” Ms Woods told the board, wiping her eyes.

“But the woman who sits before you today, I’m not that same person.”

Ms Woods, who was just 25 years old at the time, and her children were living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the area in 2005. Just three weeks earlier, her son Emmanuel was released from the ICU after being born prematurely and with a condition that increases the risk of sudden death.

The family fled to Shreveport, Louisiana where they stayed in several different accommodations including a sports arena and a motel before moving into a rental house.

Ms Woods had been feeding the baby with formula until they ran out of food vouchers, she told the board. That’s when she decided to feed him cow’s milk.

“The formula he was taking, he wasn’t swallowing. He was always throwing it up, and then we ran out of WIC (food) vouchers, so I decided to switch it … I switched it to organic milk. I thought he was doing better, but he wasn’t thriving,” Ms Woods said to the parole board.

Emmanuel’s condition continued to get worse and he died in November 2005.

Both Ms Woods and her husband were indicted for murder, and during the trial, the prosecution argued that even though Woods claimed she ran out of vouchers, there was food and beer in the fridge after the baby’s death, according to The Associated Press.

Louisiana law allows murder convictions in accidental deaths resulting from a set of felonies that includes cruelty to juveniles. Also, unlike most states, Louisiana murder convictions carry a mandatory life prison sentence with no chance at parole for adults.

Both of Emmanuel’s parents lost their appeals. The boy’s father, Emmanuel Scott, who is now 36, is also serving life in prison. He hasn’t applied for clemency.

Ms Wood’s other children, who are now grown, were present for the board meeting earlier this week including Troy Woods who spoke in support of his mother and Nie’John Woods, who appeared via video from Alaska, where he serves in the US Air Force.

He told The Messenger that the Louisiana pardon board's recommendation to release her could finally allow the family to heal after her arrest and conviction ripped it apart.

“There were many difficulties growing up without her, moving from home to home as a child — with people who were not always caring or loving," he said.

The board voted unanimously that Ms Woods should be granted her freedom. But that decision ultimately comes down to Governor John Bel Edwards.

“I want to thank him for the consideration. For the first time in a very long time we have hope, which is a huge deal for myself and my siblings,” Nie’John added.

Last year, the state board issued 105 recommendations for clemency, and Edwards granted 35 pardons and commuted sentences for 51 other people.