Daycare worker pleads to abuse

A former Philadelphia daycare worker will serve five years in prison after pleading guilty to felony child abuses in circuit court last month.

Elizabeth McGee, 25, was charged with one count of felony child abuse after the Oct. 9, 2019, incident where she allegedly slammed a child down on a cot hard enough to snap the child’s head back and cause a nasty gash on his upper nose that required at least seven stitches. 

The child’s mother posted this information about the incident on her Facebook page.

District Attorney Steven Kilgore said McGee was sentenced to 10 years with five years suspended. Had she gone to trial and been found guilty, she could have faced a 20-year prison sentence.

“There was video from the daycare that showed it happened,” Kilgore said. “We negotiated the plea where the mother of the victim was in agreement with it. She said she had worked there for a while and had never had anything happen. But it takes just once.”

Philadelphia Police and the Mississippi Department of Health investigated the case.

Kilgore and his staff held a double-term of court in October and November for Neshoba and Scott counties. The case loads had gotten behind due to the COVID-19 pandemic which shut the courts down for several months.

Kilgore said there were numerous pleadings throughout the session that included the following:

• Memory Beckham, 42, Louisville, pleaded guilty to possession of meth. She was sentenced to time served;

• Tiffany Rawson 44, Carthage, pleaded guilty to possession of meth and entered the pre-trial diversion program;    

• John Winstead pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI, receiving a two-year prison sentence;

• Justin Morgan, 23, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana and entered the pre-trial diversion program;

• Brian Vowell, 41, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to embezzlement and entered the pre-trial diversion program;

• Sandie Willis, 46, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced to six months;

• Austin Dixon, 26, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to grand larceny and assigned to the Drug Court;

• Christopher Leach, 33, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to DUI 3rd offense. He received a two-year prison term;     

• Amanda Monk, 33, Union, pleaded guilty to burglary and was assigned to the Drug Court;

• Chandler Rushing, 21, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to burglary and received a four-year prison sentence;

• Charles Walker, 38, pleaded guilty to taking away a motor vehicle and received a four-year prison sentence;

• Jerome Huffman, 48, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to DUI 3rd offense and received a one-year prison sentence;

• Matthew Robertson, 18, Carthage, pleaded guilty to possession of contraband and was sentenced to three years in prison;

• Timothy Smith, 19, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen property and was assigned to the Drug Court;

• Willie Jones, 54, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to possession of meth and cocaine and received a two-year prison sentence;

• Daniel McMillian, 26, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to possession of meth and was assigned to the Drug Court; 

• Timmie Ivey, 39, Little Rock, pleaded guilty to burglary and received an eight-year prison sentence;

• James Kelly, Sr. pled guilty to DUI 3rd offense and received a one-year prison sentence; and,

• Dalton Petty, 23, Philadelphia, pled guilty to auto burglary and was assigned to the Drug Court.