By Associated Press - Tuesday, April 15, 2014

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - A Pensacola woman was sentenced to 24 years in prison for her role in the death of her toddler who was found unresponsive in a neighbor’s goldfish pond.

Circuit Judge Jan Shackleford issued the sentence Monday after jurors found 32-year-old Jennifer Eiland guilty of negligent manslaughter last month.

Prosecutors say 14-month-old Alana Mae Eiland was found in the pond, about 80 feet from her home last August.

The judge says it wasn’t an easy case to hear. In determining the sentence, she says she considered the crime, Eiland’s minimal criminal history and the effect of the child’s death on her four siblings.

During the trial, Eiland’s husband Dannie Eiland called the death “a horrific accident.”

But neighbors testified it was common to see her children playing outside without supervision.

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Information from: Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, https://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com

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