A former child care provider in Watertown is going to prison after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter, according to a news release from he South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.
Amanda Walder was sentenced Friday, July 14 to 20 years in prison after admitting to her role in the death of a 17-month-old child in 2021, according to the release. She pleaded guilty in March.
She was watching the toddler at her in-home daycare center in July 2021 when Watertown police were called to a report of an unconscious child. An investigation revealed that the child died of traumatic brain injury caused by assault, per the release.
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Waldner admitted to killing the child in a moment of passion, but in a cruel and unusual manner, according to the release.
She also was ordered to pay $13,165 in restitution to the family and $1,3340 to Codington County.
Manslaughter is the killing of another person without malice or aforethought, making it different than murder.
“We offer our condolences to the family of the victim,” Attorney General Marty Jackley said in the release. “We also thank law enforcement and prosecutors for their efforts.”
This case is one of six child homicide cases being worked on by the attorney general’s office and all of the victims are younger than 3, Jackley said.
