A St. Francis woman has been sentenced to 13 months in federal prison after her infant child died from asphyxia caused by smothering while she slept, high on methamphetamine. Chelsea Okiya Wi Nixon, 22, was sentenced on April 29, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange in what prosecutors are calling a tragic case of neglect amid substance abuse.
Nixon pleaded guilty on February 7, 2019, to one count of involuntary manslaughter following a federal indictment handed down December 11, 2018. The charge stems from an incident on August 18, 2018, when a relative entered the room where Nixon was bottle-feeding her child and found her asleep, her shoulder pressing against the infant’s face. The baby was already unresponsive.
According to court documents, Nixon had stayed awake the previous night and ingested methamphetamine before attempting to feed and care for the child. Toxicology reports confirmed the presence of the drug in her system. The cause of death was officially ruled “asphyxia due to smothering by mother” by forensic investigators.
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons confirmed the sentence, which includes 13 months of federal incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Nixon was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. She was taken into custody immediately by the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, highlighting the complex jurisdictional cooperation often required in federal cases on tribal lands. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case, emphasizing the preventable nature of the infant’s death.
Nixon’s case adds to a growing record of drug-related tragedies on South Dakota’s reservations, where methamphetamine use continues to devastate families. While she avoided a longer sentence through her guilty plea, the outcome offers little solace for a life lost to exhaustion, addiction, and fatal inattention.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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