(AUBURN) – Sentence has been handed down to a former rural resident of Hamilton in the death of a five month old child.

DeKalb Superior Court officials say on Tuesday, 39 year old Teresa Cole was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In a plea agreement, Cole plead guilty to an amended felony charge of neglect of a dependent. She had originally been charged with a felony count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death.

On August 18, 2023, a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Detective was dispatched to the 6200 block of County Road 4 in Hamilton, on a report of a nearly five month old infant that was not breathing. The child’s father, Samson Cole, had called 911 at 6:45 AM, saying the child was not breathing. First responders arrived and the child was pronounced dead at 7:45 AM.

Teresa Cole told investigators the child had been sick and fussy the last few days. She checked on the child at 2 AM, and the baby was asleep and breathing. When she woke up at 6 AM to get the other kids ready for school, she noticed the baby was blue and not breathing.

Samson Cole confirmed the baby had been sick, and had been taken to the doctor, but no medication was given.

An autopsy was performed on the baby and no significant injuries were observed. Toxicology tests showed the baby’s blood tested positive for ethanol.

During a police interview, Teresa Cole stated she made the baby a bottle the night prior to the 911 call with bottled water. She told police that Samson Cole used to bring alcohol into the house but it would be in a water bottle and that when she made the bottle, she might have accidentally made the bottle with alcohol instead.

When police searched the house, they found a baby bottle on the floor near where the baby slept. The liquid inside the bottle was confirmed as ethanol.

Cole received credit for 249 days served in jail while the case was pending.

Court officials say Samson Cole is facing a felony charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, and five other felony counts of neglect of a dependent. He is scheduled to have a pre-trial conference on February 10.