Washington baby sitter sent to prison for child's death

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A baby sitter in Washington will spend more than eight years in prison after an 8-month-old died while in her care.

The News Tribune reports that the judge who sentenced 35-year-old Jamie Thompson said Friday it isn't entirely clear what happened to Jayceon Thomas.

Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Martin says competing experts had competing findings. Prosecutors say Thompson hit the little boy in the head in April 2014, causing a fatal injury. But Thompson's attorneys say Thomas suffered from a disease or other condition that caused him to die.

Thompson was originally charged with murder, but took a deal that allowed her to maintain her innocence while pleading guilty to manslaughter for the boy's death. The deal let her avoid risking a longer prison sentence.