Danielle Talbott

French Creek woman sentenced to 3-15 years in prison for child neglect resulting in death

BUCKHANNON – A French Creek woman convicted of child neglect resulting in death following the death of her 3-year-old daughter in October 2017 was recently sentenced to three to 15 years in the state penitentiary.

Danielle Nicole Talbott, 25, pleaded to one of two counts contained in the original May 2018 indictment on Nov. 8, 2018, in Upshur County Circuit Court.

Most recently, on Feb. 21, 2019, 26th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Jacob Reger sentenced Talbott to the three-to-15-year penalty, as recommended by Upshur County Prosecuting Attorney David Godwin.

Talbott was indicted by an Upshur County grand jury in May 2018 for failing to seek immediate medical care for her 3-year-old daughter, Braylee, who was discovered to be unresponsive Oct. 21, 2017, and later died at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown of intentional blunt force trauma injuries believed to be inflicted by Talbott’s boyfriend at the time, Christopher Radcliff.

A detailed investigation led law enforcement to believe Radcliff died by suicide Oct. 25, 2017, the day Talbott’s daughter passed away at Ruby Memorial Hospital.

According to court documents, Talbott said she had allowed Radcliff to talk her out of seeking medical attention for her daughter in a timely manner.

The May 2018 indictment charged Talbott with two felonies – one count of child neglect, creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury and one count of child neglect resulting in death. In accordance with the plea deal Talbott’s attorney, Dennis Willett, reached with the prosecution, Talbott pleaded guilty to child neglect resulting in death in exchange for the state dropping the other charge.

According to sentencing documents, Talbott will receive credit for time served of 51 days. She will be eligible for parole following three years of imprisonment, and upon her release, must register with the local detachment of the West Virginia State Police as a child abuser, court documents state.

In other court news, the plea hearing of Howard Joseph Landers II, 28, of Weston, which was originally set for Monday, March 4, has been rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, according to the Upshur County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Landers, who was indicted on one felony count of malicious wounding in January, is accused of shooting, injuring and wounding a man, William McCauley, with a .22-caliber handgun at a Cleveland Avenue residence in late April 2018.

Landers is being represented by attorney James Hawkins Jr.

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