Florida couple guilty in case of girl strangled in her crib by a hungry python

BUSHNELL, Fla. – A central Florida couple has been convicted in the death of a toddler strangled in her crib by a pet python.

A jury found 21-year-old mother Jaren Hare and her live-in boyfriend, 34-year-old Charles “Jason” Darnell, guilty Thursday of manslaughter, third-degree murder and child neglect. They each face 35 years in prison. Both previously rejected plea agreements for 10 years in prison.

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Authorities say an 8-foot (2.44-meter) -6-inch (15.24-centimetre) albino Burmese python wrapped itself around 2-year-old Shianna Hare’s head on July 1, 2009. Testimony revealed the snake had not been fed for a month before the attack.

Defence attorneys argued that the death was an accident, and there was no way to know that the tame pet would kill a child.