A jury in Sumter County found a Central Florida couple guilty of third-degree murder, manslaughter and child abuse after a pet python escaped from its cage and strangled a toddler to death.
Jurors heard testimony from prosecution witnesses that because the cage was merely secured with a blanket and baby pins, the 8.5 foot snake was able to easily slither out of the cage. The snake had not been fed in over a month, jurors learned.
The 2-year-old toddler, who was found lifeless in her bed, had bite marks over her face, with the snake wrapped round her neck.
Sentencing day for the couple, Jaren Hare and Charles Darnell, is set for August 24th.
