Fairborn mother accused in child’s death enters rehab

A Fairborn mother who pleaded guilty in the death of her baby was released from prison early and put into a substance abuse program this month.

Greene County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Buckwalter granted the release for Cassandra Lewis, 20, on Oct. 3 with condition that she enroll in the Greene Leaf Therapeutic Community Program — a six month substance abuse program where participants are incarcerated at the county jail while receiving treatment. Lewis will also be required to submit to chemical dependency evaluation and treatment, drug tests, supervised probation for five years, according to court records.

Lewis was taken into custody by Fairborn police on Aug. 24, 2012 after she rolled over and accidentally suffocated her three-week old daughter. She pleaded guilty to to manslaughter and tampering with evidence in April.

In May, Judge Buckwalter sentenced Lewis to 21 months in prison.

Three months later, Lewis’ attorney, Ronald Keller of Cox, Keller & Lusardi in Xenia, filed a motion to suspend the remaining portion of her sentence and place her on supervised probation.

“Further, Ms. Lewis realizes that she is solely responsible for her present situation and has sought to rehabilitate herself,” Keller wrote. “She has demonstrated great remorse for her actions and for the impact this incarceration has had upon her family. Further, there is no question that the institutionalization has had the desired affect that is consistent with a judicial release.”

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