Duct tape death: woman gets life

A WOMAN in the US was sentenced to life in prison for killing her nine-year-old adopted son by wrapping him in duct tape as punishment for stealing cookies.

The boy was left for a night with only his nose uncovered and choked on his own vomit at the family home near Kansas City in December 2002.

Christy Edgar, her husband, Neil, and six others were charged with abusing the couple’s three adopted children and a boy who knew the family. Those involved included members of God’s Creation Outreach Ministry, a church in Kansas City where the Edgars were pastors. The woman “was the ringleader of a group that tortured little kids and killed one of them”, prosecutor Paul Morrison said.

Just before she was due to stand trial, Ms Edgar unexpectedly pleaded guilty, against her lawyer’s advice, to first-degree murder.