Stoned Drunk mom blames her autistic son for her fillicide

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A Maine woman faces up to 30 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter Tuesday in the January death of her 7-week-old baby, according to multiple reports.

Before jurors began their deliberations, Miranda Hopkins, 32, of Troy, took the stand in her own defense, reports the Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel.

Hopkins told the court she does not know how her son Jaxson died on Jan. 11, 2017, but recalled waking up after drinking several shots of whiskey and smoking marijuana to find him cold, stiff, and unresponsive, the Bangor Daily News reports.

When she was first taken into custody, Hopkins told investigators she believed one of her two sons with autism may have beaten the infant to death, but admitted from the witness stand she never once saw her sons harm the baby, according to the paper.

Assistant District Attorney Leanne Zainea argued Hopkins admitted she lied to police early on in the investigation because she feared her children would be taken from her and placed in foster care, the station claims.

“She said she was afraid her family would be separated, but she had no problem pointing the finger at two nonverbal, severely autistic boys,” Zainea said, according to the Bangor Daily News.