Iowa woman pleads guilty to kidnapping in teen’s death

ADEL, Iowa – An Iowa woman has pleaded guilty to three kidnapping charges related to the 2017 starvation death of her 16-year-old adopted daughter.

The Des Moines Register reports that 41-year-old Misty Jo Bousman Ray pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of first-degree kidnapping and two counts of third-degree kidnapping involving two other adopted children in her care illegally confined to her Perry home.

First-degree kidnapping carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. In exchange for her plea, prosecutors dropped first-degree murder and other charges.

The charges stem from the May 2017 death of Sabrina Ray, who weighed only 56 pounds when she died.

Her husband, 43-year-old Marc Ray, pleaded guilty last month to child endangerment causing death and three counts of third-degree kidnapping. The couple will be jointly sentenced on Jan. 18 in Dallas County.

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Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com