Harriette Hoyt pleads guilty to Attempted Murder

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) - The Sayre teen accused of abandoning her baby in a bag behind a home in Elmira has pleaded guilty to attempted murder.
Hoyt pleaded guilty to 2nd degree Attempted Murder in exchange for a 9-year prison sentence. Hoyt was originally charged with Attempted Murder, Reckless Endangerment, and Abandonment of a Child.
"First and foremost, we wanted some accountability for the particular crime, specifically leaving the 7 and a half month old in the bushes", says Assistant District Attorney, Terry Northrup.
Hoyt admitted to leaving her 7-month-old daughter in a plastic bag for more than 72 hours behind a home on Walnut Street in Elmira. The baby was found by neighbors. After being treated at Strong Memorial Hospital, the baby was put into foster care.
Northrup says prosecutors took multiple factors into account when deciding what to offer, including a mental health evaluation Hoyt went through during the court process.
"We consider all sorts of circumstances in the context of the situation, as I said these guys did an excellent job of pulling all the threads with regards to the context of Harriette Hoyt's life. So all of those things would be taken into consideration as mitigating factors," says Northrup.
Hoyt's lawyer didn't comment after the deal Friday, but back in August, he told WENY News he didn't believe Hoyt was the monster she was being painted as.
For now, Hoyt remains in the Chemung County Jail until her sentencing.
As for the baby, Sergeant William Solt from the Elmira Police Department says she is doing well in foster care. Her case is being handled in family court. A permanent placement has not yet been decided.

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