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ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont woman convicted of manslaughter in the death of her disabled son, who had vodka poured into his feeding tube, has lost an appeal over her manslaughter conviction.
Melissa Robitille (ROH'-bah-teye), of Hardwick, was sentenced in 2017 to four to 12 years in prison. Robitille had been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2014 alcohol poisoning death of her 13-year-old son, Isaac.
Prosecutors said Robitille and her boyfriend, Walter Richters, poured vodka in her son's feeding tube to keep him quiet. The boy later died.
Robitille had appealed to the Vermont Supreme Court, arguing that the state produced insufficient evidence to support a conviction, among other factors.
The Vermont Supreme Court on Friday disagreed.
Richters was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the death.
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Information from: WCAX-TV, http://www.wcax.com
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