CLEVELAND — A Cleveland woman has pleaded guilty in the 2023 killing of her 3-year-old son, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office confirmed to 3News on Tuesday.
Timmeka Eggleton, 31, was scheduled to stand trial next week, but instead has admitted to charges of murder, felonious assault, and endangering children. As part of the plea deal, the more serious charge of aggravated murder was dropped.
Back on June 14, 2023, witnesses found 3-year-old Curtis Lee James Witcher unconscious inside a stroller at a Family Dollar, and he was eventually pronounced dead at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death to be a homicide from blunt force injuries, and Eggleton was arrested days later after officials say she lied about what happened.
The case took a bit of a turn last August when Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Brendan J. Sheehan ruled Eggleton was not mentally competent to stand trial and ordered her to be taken to Northfield for treatment. However, Sheehan also declared Eggleton's condition to be "restorable," meaning she could still be tried if her mental state could be reasonably improved within a year. That was determined to be the case on Nov. 30, when the court found Eggleton was now able to face charges.
Sheehan will sentence Eggleton on July 22, per officials. Prosecutors had already decided against seeking the death penalty, but she still faces up to life in prison.