Virginia Woman Pleaded Guilty To Role In 4-Year-Old's Murder. Now She's Headed To Prison.

A Virginia woman's 4-year-old son had more than 80 bruises on his body at the time he died from child abuse. Now, his mother is headed to prison for nearly two decades.

Catherine Seals, who pleaded guilty to homicide and child neglect charges, was sentenced to 18 years in prison last month, according to 13 News Now. She received eight years for felony homicide and 10 for child abuse.

Seals is the third person who was charged in connection to the Larkin Carr's death. Her 14-year-old son was charged with second-degree muder and is going to be tried as adult, and Larkin Carr's father, Hank Smith Jr., was convicted of child abuse and felony homicide charges in October 2021.

According to police, Larkin Carr was found unconscious inside his home on November 2018 with no pulse and bruises all across his body. He was then taken to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, where he was pronounced dead.

Smith Jr.'s charges stem from not intervening when the 14-year-old beat Lark Carr, prosecutors said, according to 13 News Now. An expert and doct at the children's hospital testified during Smith Jr.'s trial that Carr also suffered from nutritional and medical neglect.

Larkin Carr died from blunt force trauma to his abdomen, and he has more than 80 bruises on his body at the time of his death, according to a medical examiner's report.

According to 13 News Now, Seals was originally charged only with child neglect, but the felony homicide charge was added in May 2019.